LOST & FOUND PART 3
by DG Fisher
Summary: Adam is being pushed to the limit, his family has increased, he loses a dear friend, and his deputies continue to be both a help and a hindrance. Will the pressure finally make him lose his mind? And more importantly, will he care?
1. L & F PT 3 CH 18 HOME AGAIN, HOME AGA...

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN  
  
Chapter 18  
  
The day after Halloween dawned bright and sunny, but also a little frosty as Adam finally rose from his cot, checked on Thea, and then went out into the front room. He stopped to take a look at Joe quietly, so he wouldn't waken Matt or the infants. Joe's forehead was cool to the touch and he smiled when he realized he almost felt the same way about Joe as he did his children. He wanted to laugh when he thought about how Joe would react to that.  
  
Then he moved to stand in front of the cot where his three new sons were sleeping, wrapped up tightly and warmly, and knelt down on one knee as he touched each little face and softly said their name. He was thankful they didn't resemble each other at all. His hands would be full enough without the added problem of not being able to tell them apart.  
  
He looked over his shoulder when he heard a sound and saw Matt was awake. The doctor tossed the blanket aside and sat up, swinging his legs over the side then sat there yawning and scrubbing his hands across his face.  
  
"You look awful," Adam said low as he stood.  
  
"I'm sure, but I bet I look a hundred times better than you do," Matt answered and the two men smiled at each other.  
  
"I may look, if you will pardon the expression, like 'death warmed over' but I don't feel that way."  
  
Matt shook his head and yawned again, "Just wait, that euphoria will wear off quickly."  
  
"Just so it lasts long enough to get Thea and the children settled in our house."  
  
"Your house?"  
  
Adam nodded, "The cream-colored brick near the edge of town."  
  
"I thought that was Hal's house."  
  
"No, Hal was just supervising the work for me. I wanted to surprise Thea and since the house is almost finished, I think it would be better for all concerned if we just moved in now. That way you will be able to help me keep an eye on her. You know she will be trying to do too much too soon."  
  
Matt nodded as the two men exchanged a look of understanding.  
  
"I also think Joe should stay with us while he recuperates."  
  
"I agree, and I will talk to your father about it," the doctor said. "Now I want to take a look at Thea, then we'll tackle feeding these little people."  
  
"Of course," Adam said. "Taking care of babies isn't anything new to me. I already have two children and I even took care of Hoss and Joe a long time ago." He looked at the infants on the cot and sighed.  
  
"Remembering what it was like?"  
  
Adam nodded, "Yep, taking care of the twins involved a hell of a lot of work and now we have three, so let's get started because if I know my father he will be here any minute with the twins."  
  
Matt chuckled as he stood up and went into the treatment room with Adam following close behind.  
  
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The two men had just come back out when they heard a knock at the door and recognized Barbara Jackson from the Post Office standing there. She had somehow commandeered Adam's four deputies and the men stood behind her, each one carrying something.  
  
Adam quickly opened the door for her and they all filed in. She stopped in front of Adam and put her hands on his shoulders.  
  
"Is everything still all right this morning?" she said looking at him anxiously.  
  
He nodded and she smiled in relief as she hugged him. Adam started to chuckle looking at his men standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to do with what they were carrying.  
  
Barbara turned to them saying, "Nate, put those dishes on this desk. Mike, John, put what you have on the other desk." She moved to Jerry and took the bundle he was carrying. "Now, I brought everything I could think of that you would need for the babies. I wanted to bring clothing for Thea, but nothing I have would fit her."  
  
When she noticed the four deputies standing around helplessly she said, "You four can escape now, I think the three of us can manage." The four men raced for the door.  
  
"Nice boys," she said with a smile, "but a little shy. So let's get these three wee people fed and ready to meet their brother and sister. I'm assuming Ben will be bringing them this morning?"  
  
Adam started laughing as he nodded and said, "Mrs. Jackson, would you like to finally meet Thea now?"  
  
She laughed with him, her beautiful eyes dancing with mischief. "Please, call me Barbara."  
  
He offered her his arm and escorted her into the treatment room, and then was back in just a few moments. "I think those two are going to be very good friends," Adam said, "they took to each other like long-lost sisters."  
  
Matt nodded, "I'm not surprised - they really have a lot in common," he said, busy looking through what she had brought. "I don't think she missed a single thing, and she even brought broth for Thea and Joe as well as milk." He smiled, very pleased and thankful for the help.  
  
The two men started with Matthew and Benjamin, Thomas was still asleep.  
  
Barbara came out of the treatment room and picked up Thomas as Adam took some broth in to Thea. He soon came back with the empty dish and the three settled into chairs, each holding an infant.  
  
"Well Thea is asleep again and Joe hasn't even cracked an eyelid yet," Adam said as he looked down at Matthew in his lap. The baby was wide-awake and staring up at his father's face in unfocused fascination.  
  
Barbara had Thomas cradled in her left arm and was stroking the top of his head with a gentle hand. She grinned at the way his blue-green eyes fluttered closed at each touch, then popped open again when she lifted her hand.  
  
Benjamin seemed to be in a bit of a temper as he waved his tiny arms around and kicked his tiny legs. Matt had him on his shoulder and was rubbing his back, but Benjamin wasn't interested in being soothed back to sleep. So the doctor stood and began to pace around the room, hoping it would help. He stopped and said, "They're here," with relief when he spotted the wagon coming down the street with Hoss driving and the twins sitting in between him and their Grandfather.  
  
Even before they pulled up in front Adam could see his two older children were bouncing on the seat in excitement. Ben lifted them down, but held them back from running for the door. He kept them standing next to him as he reached into the bed of the wagon and handed each of them a bag to carry. Weighed down, they could only manage to stagger and Balor jumped down out of the back to follow them and took up his post, sitting just to the right outside the door. Adam smiled as he stood and settled Matthew on his shoulder, appreciative of his father's foresight. He went and opened the door.  
  
The twins shuffled in and dropped the bags on the floor by the door and threw themselves against their father's legs, Alexander wrapped his arms around Adam's left leg while Annalise did the same with the right. He looked down at them and shook his head as they stared up at the moving bundle on their father's shoulder with wide eyes.  
  
"Can I hold him? Who is he?" Annalise said trying to shake her father's leg.  
  
"If you both will let go you can go over there and sit down, and THEN you can hold one of your brothers."  
  
The twins instantly let go and ran for the chairs to sit down.  
  
Barbara stood then saying, "Why don't I give Thomas to Annalise? Matthew seems pretty content where he is."  
  
Adam nodded his thanks to her as Matt stopped in front of Alexander. "Here, you can hold Benjamin," the doctor said and carefully put the infant in the child's arms and showed him how to hold him. Annalise didn't need to be shown.  
  
The little girl looked down into the baby's sleepy blue-green eyes and instantly fell in love. "Your fingers are so tiny, Thomas" she whispered to him and began to sing to him softly as she stroked his cheek.  
  
Alexander laughed when his hazel eyes met Benjamin's bright black ones. "You see me, don't you?" he said to the baby.  
  
"He's just born, he can't really see anything," Matt said but Alexander shook his head.  
  
"Nope, he can see me, can't you Benny?" he said then laughed with delight when the baby opened his eyes wide and made a cawing sound.  
  
Ben came through the door then and walked up to Adam who handed Matthew over to him immediately. Ben took the baby in his arms and went over to the twins and went down on one knee to show them the infant. "This is your other brother Matthew," he said and the two children leaned forward to look, and then toward each other to compare babies.  
  
Hoss had come in right after his father and picked up the bags the children had abandoned. He handed them to Adam. "I packed some clothes for Thea and for the twins. I figured since your house is 'bout ready they wouldn't be comin' back anytime soon."  
  
Adam took the bags from his brother and smiled his thanks, touched by Hoss's thoughtfulness.  
  
"Oh, I put in some of Joe's things thinkin' he'd be stayin' with you for a while, too. And Hop Sing put somethin' in there in a tin. He said Thea would know what to do with it and it's for buildin' up her strength."  
  
His older brother just shook his head as Hoss continued, "How's Thea this mornin'? Any better?"  
  
"Yes she is, do you want to go in and see her? I'm sure she's awake now."  
  
"Can I?" he asked, suddenly shy, but when Adam carried the bags into the room, he was right behind him.  
  
Thea WAS awake and smiled at the big man and took his hand when he reached her side. Her husband set the bags down and quietly left the room to keep an eye on his older children.  
  
"Morning Hoss," Thea said in a hoarse, but surprisingly strong voice.  
  
"Mornin'," he answered and looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling embarrassed for kissing her the night before.  
  
"Hoss look at me," she said softly and when he finally met her gaze she startled him by saying, "I love you." He blushed and she laughed a weak laugh.  
  
"You're MY brother too, and I couldn't love you more even if we had been born of the same parents. Don't you ever feel embarrassed about anything with me."  
  
"Yes ma'am," he said and looked away as he turned redder.  
  
She chuckled and tugged on his hand until he looked at her again. "Just remember, Hoss. You're the only adult in this family I haven't done any work on," she grinned at his startled expression and winked at him. "Your next, big guy."  
  
He smiled back then started to laugh when she crossed her eyes at him as she said, "I take it you don't have any faith in my medical skills."  
  
Adam came back in then saying, "Sounds like I'm missing a good time in here."  
  
Hoss nodded as he tried to stop laughing, but he made the mistake of looking at Thea so she crossed her eyes again and he couldn't stop. Finally he had to leave the room.  
  
"Are you having fun, harassing my brother?"  
  
"He's my brother too, now," Thea said with a satisfied sigh. "I've always wanted a sibling to torment."  
  
"Well, now you have two, or at least you will after Joe recuperates."  
  
"I know and I agree with you, it's a lot of fun to fool with his mind."  
  
Adam took her hand and leaned down to kiss her and took a close look at her face. Amazed, but very pleased that she had a little color in her cheeks he said, "I want to bring the twins in to see you now that they should be finished taking inventory of baby fingers and toes. Then Barbara wants to know if you'd like her to come in and get you ready to go home."  
  
"Yes I would. I can't wait to get home, this isn't exactly the most comfortable place to be."  
  
"We should have you and Joe and the babies bundled up in the back of the wagon in no time and we'll get you there as quickly as possible."  
  
Adam was as good as his word and everybody ambulatory rushed around getting the two invalids and the babies bundled up and in the wagon.  
  
Thea was comfortable lying on a pad of folded blankets in the wagon, having been given a sponge bath, then dressed by her new friend in a thick flannel nightgown, quilted robe, and fur-lined slippers. More blankets covered her and she had her head in Adam's lap. The twins and Matt were sitting in the back of the wagon too, and each held an infant in their laps. Balor jumped in after the twins and lay up against her feet like a large, hairy hot- water bottle, so even before the wagon started to move she closed her eyes and drifted off.  
  
She didn't even wake up when Adam slipped out from under her, vaulted over the side, then reached back in to pick her up, blankets and all.  
  
He stood on the front walk and said, "Theadora." She immediately opened her eyes.  
  
Looking around confused she said, "Why are we stopping at Hal's house?"  
  
"This isn't Hal's house," he answered her as he carried up the steps and to the front door, which was standing open. He stopped and looked down into her heavy eyes and said, "Welcome home Mrs. Cartwright."  
  
Everyone stopped where they were and smiled when they heard her gasp, then weakly squeal with delight as Adam carried her over the threshold. 


	2. L & F PT 3 CH 19 BANDING TOGETHER

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
BANDING TOGETHER  
  
Chapter 19  
  
Adam and his four deputy marshals were sitting at their usual table in the Sage Brush when Ben and Hoss walked in.  
  
Ben's eyes immediately went to Adam, taking in his red-rimmed eyes and the lines of exhaustion etching his pale face.  
  
The five already at the table were discussing the progress of constructing the regional office building. The three-story structure was walled on the outside and the roof was on. Adam was talking to Nate and didn't notice when his father was standing next to him.  
  
Ben pulled out the chair next to his eldest son and sat down. "Adam," he said and when the younger man turned around and he saw him up close he looked in even worse shape than Ben had thought. He put a hand on Adam's shoulder, "How long has it been since you slept?"  
  
"What day of the week is this?"  
  
"Friday."  
  
Adam closed his eyes and seemed to be making a concerted effort to concentrate. He was taking so long to answer Ben was about to shake him when his eyes popped open and he said, "Four days, and if I don't sleep tonight that will make it five."  
  
Ben shook his head, "Son, you HAVE to get some sleep or you will make yourself seriously ill."  
  
"I know Pa, and it's not that I don't want to sleep, I just can't."  
  
"You can't?"  
  
Sighing, Adam nodded. "Every time I start to fall asleep an overwhelming urge to check on everyone wakes me up. I have to make sure they're all still breathing."  
  
"You're checking on the babies constantly, aren't you?"  
  
Adam nodded again, "I start with them, then I have to check the twins, then Thea, then Joe," he chuckled. "I expect I'll be adding the dog to that list, too."  
  
Ben smiled at Adam's joke, but shook his head "You need some help son, you've got seven people in that house to take care of and you can't do it all yourself."  
  
"I do have help. Matt comes everyday and I've hired some local ladies to help with the work, but that's during the day. At night I have to guard them because I can't trust anyone else to keep them safe."  
  
Ben was about to answer and suggest that he and Hoss come to help when Matt interrupted them by walking up to the table and handing Adam a telegram.  
  
He gave Matt a puzzled look, opened it, and read through it quickly. Then he smiled, "Thank God."  
  
"What?" Matt and Ben said together.  
  
"The cavalry is coming. Wes, Dulcy, Marie, and Cassandra are arriving by train today. In fact, they should be arriving right about now. I just may survive the next month after all!" He stood and started for the door. Everyone else at the table got to their feet and followed with Ben and Matt at the end of the line.  
  
The train was just pulling in when they reached the station and they all stood in a group waiting for their friends. Wes was the first to come down moving sideways, his huge form filling the small space. He stood to the side to help the ladies down the last step. Dulcy, his new bride, appeared first, closely followed by Cassandra and Marie. He actually picked Marie up and set her down carefully, ever mindful of her weak right leg.  
  
Adam shook Wes's hand and hugged the ladies as the others came forward to greet their friends. Wes assembled the luggage together and then the men divided it up. Adam offered Marie his arm and she tucked her hand in crook of his elbow with a shy smile. They started across the street and the others followed - Dulcy with Wes, and Cassandra with Hoss.  
  
When they reached the house there was cheerful confusion as Adam told the ladies to take whichever room they wished and to direct the men as to where to take their luggage.  
  
Wes pulled Adam aside then and they had a short, intense conversation that no one seemed to notice. With a grim look, Adam went upstairs to Joe's room where the twins were "helping" one of the ladies he had hired to feed Joe some soup.  
  
People were running up and down the front stairs and happy voices filled the house as Adam used the back stairs to take the dishes down to the kitchen while the twins "helped" tuck their uncle in. When the noise woke the babies, they began to cry and everyone upstairs stopped what they were doing and assembled in the nursery.  
  
The three women each took a child in her arms and the men crowded around to see. Marie had Benjamin, Dulcy had Thomas, and Cassandra had Matthew who continued to scream no matter what the poor girl tried to calm him down. Adam came bounding up the stairs, pushed his way through the crowd and she gladly handed the infant to his father. The screams immediately stopped.  
  
In the sudden quiet they all heard Thea laugh from the doorway, "Adam is the only person that can get him to stop screaming like that."  
  
The men stepped back and Adam gave his wife a severe look, "You are NOT supposed to be out of bed yet."  
  
Cassandra said, "I'll help her back," and rushed up to Thea and hugged her gently. Dulcy and Marie were right behind her after handing the babies to their uncle and grandfather. The three women carefully helped Thea back to her room and into bed. Cassandra sat on the side and held her hand tightly, while Dulcy pulled a rocking chair over from the corner and ordered Marie to sit down while she remained standing.  
  
Marie was the first to break the silence, "How are you feeling now, child?" she said as she took Thea's other hand in both of hers.  
  
"Weak," Thea said then smiled, "I've never felt weaker in my life, and yet I've never felt better. I guess escaping death has a tendency to make you appreciate being alive."  
  
Her three friends laughed and Cassandra squeezed Thea's hand hard as she said, "Thea, what was it like?"  
  
"Cassandra!" Dulcy said, "you shouldn't be asking her that and getting her upset."  
  
"No, no, it's alright. I don't mind talking about it," Thea answered, "would you shut the door, please? I don't want Adam to hear this."  
  
After shutting the door, Dulcy came back and sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed. The three women looked at Thea expectantly.  
  
"I knew right away something was wrong with this labor; it wasn't at all like the others. And I knew when the rupture happened. I was holding onto Adam's hand as hard as I could, but I couldn't feel it. He didn't want to do what I told him he had to do, so I made him promise me. And I just kept feeling colder and colder and the next thing I knew I was standing next to Adam looking down at myself on the table." Thea paused and cleared her throat.  
  
"He kept saying my name and finally Hoss put a hand on his shoulder and told him they didn't have much time. I stood next to him and it seemed like I was speaking in his ear, telling him what to do, and he followed what I was saying perfectly. I don't understand that, and I guess I never will." She took her hand back from Cassandra and reached for a glass of water on the bedside table, drank half of it then set it back down. She sighed.  
  
"After the last baby was taken I suddenly felt like I was just fading away. The next thing I knew I was somewhere bright, somewhere filled with brilliant white light. Then I saw three women standing in a circle with their arms around each other appear. They looked just like that painting called The Three Graces, that large one hanging in the lobby of the hotel. Do you know the one I mean?"  
  
The three women listening to her so intently nodded. "They pulled me into the center of their circle and just stood there around me. Almost as though they were protecting me from something, and I kept begging them to let me go, that I wanted to go home. They were telling me things, but I wouldn't listen, I just kept demanding to go home. And then they stopped speaking and I heard Adam. He was crying," two large tears slipped down her face as Thea closed her eyes.  
  
"I've never heard him cry before, not while he was enduring the agony of his recovery and not even when we lost our first child. And then I could hear him praying, even though I couldn't hear any actual words, I knew he was praying and asking God for the strength to endure. It seemed like the Graces could hear him just like I could and they were crying because of his pain too. Then all of a sudden we were back in the room, with me still inside their circle in the corner by the door. They smiled at me and one of them said something had been lifted because of something Adam had done, but I couldn't really understand. They pushed me out of the circle and then I was back lying on the table. God it hurt, it hurt so much that I started to cry and tried to turn my head and look at Adam, but I passed out."  
  
Cassandra handed Thea a handkerchief and she dried her face then cleared her throat again. "The next thing I knew I saw Ben, Hoss, and Matt coming in carrying the babies. The Graces were still there and they came to stand next to me as Adam propped me up so I could see them. When Ben held the first baby up to my face so I could kiss him one of the Graces whispered a name in my ear, so I repeated it. Each one gave me a name and that is how my boys were named."  
  
Thea reached for the water again and her three friends could see she was wrung out from reliving the experience. "Now I know some people wouldn't believe what I've just told you, but I swear with God as my witness I've told you the truth.'  
  
Thea's three friends stayed silent as she leaned back against the pillows, each one thinking deeply about what they had heard. A loud knock on the bedroom door startled them and they looked at each other and laughed a little, like children frightened by a ghost story.  
  
Thea called out, "Come in," and Matt opened the door as Cassandra and Dulcy quickly stood.  
  
"I see you have been misbehaving again, Thea. What am I going to do with you?"  
  
"Considering my advanced age I don't think there is much of a chance that I will change my wicked ways," Thea said with a smile. "Matt, these are my friends, they've come to help out," she quickly introduced the three women and each one said, "Pleased to meet you," before slipping from the room to leave Thea alone with her doctor.  
  
After he examined Thea and asked her the usual questions, she begged him to tell Adam she was ready to start moving around the house. He agreed, "It's amazing how quickly you have recovered Thea, you should be feeling just like Joe, still weak and sleeping most of the time."  
  
She laughed at him, "You know I've always been tough, Matt."  
  
"Hmmm...and stubborn, too."  
  
"Yes I am," she said with an emphatic nod, not repentant at all.  
  
"Well, at least you admit it," Matt joked as he started to repack his bag.  
  
"Please leave the door open Matt, I like to hear what's going on."  
  
"Alright," he said. "Now you can get up and move around, but only a little bit at a time. Don't push yourself too hard or I'll have to tell Adam to make you stay in bed again."  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him and then laughed when he stuck his out back at her.  
  
"That's what I've always admired about you Matt, your innate sense of dignity."  
  
"Sure you do," he said dubiously as he looked down at her, taking in the sparkle in her eyes and the healthy color to her face.  
  
"You do realize that your recovery is miraculous, don't you?"  
  
She nodded as he started to leave the room, but then he paused at the door.  
  
"I like your friends Thea, and I'm glad they've come to help. If Adam doesn't get some rest soon he'll make himself ill."  
  
"I know, that's why I had Nate send a telegram asking them to come. But don't tell Adam, I'll get in trouble if you do."  
  
"I promise," he chuckled.  
  
"Besides, it turns out they were already on their way here, and I bet Cassandra was the one to come up with the idea. She's shy, but is always there when someone needs her."  
  
"Is she the pretty strawberry-blonde?"  
  
"Yes she is. We've been friends ever since we moved to San Francisco."  
  
Matt paused for a moment, seemingly thinking about something important. "Well," he said after a few minutes, "I guess I better report in to Adam before he comes looking for me."  
  
Thea smiled, "The last time I saw him he was in the nursery."  
  
"Oh thanks," Matt said with a distracted air as he left the room.  
  
Thea's smile widened as she chuckled with glee, "Dear Lord, " she prayed quietly as soon as Matt was out of sight, "please let Cassie be as interested in him as he is in her." Then she settled back against the pillows and fell into a light sleep.  
  
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Matt's search for Adam was becoming frustrating. No one had seen him for the last hour and the doctor was becoming a little irritated and worried.  
  
Everyone else had assembled in the huge, warm kitchen and were all pitching in to put together a meal. When Matt came in multiple voices greeted him and the twins threw themselves on him, as the dog came up to him with his tail wagging. Balor was always wherever the twins were. Matt scratched him behind the ears for a few moments before picking up the twins.  
  
He spoke to the nearest person while holding a child in each arm, "Nate, do you know where Adam is?"  
  
Nate turned to him quickly, instantly concerned. "No, I thought he was with you."  
  
"No he wasn't and I can't find him."  
  
Nate whistled loudly to get everyone's attention, "Has anyone seen Adam since we came in here?" No one had and Nate turned back to Matt. "I guess we better search the house. He's been so exhausted he could have passed out somewhere."  
  
Matt was about to agree when he saw everyone's eyes go to the doorway behind him. Thea was standing there and she put a finger to her lips then smiled as she motioned for them to follow her. She went up the stairs and down to the end of the hall, then opened the last door quietly and went in.  
  
Adam was lying on his back, fully clothed, on the left side of the bed. Joe was on his right side, up against his brother with his head on Adam's shoulder and one arm flung across his broad chest. Thea stood there shaking with inaudible laughter.  
  
Wes came to stand next to her, "Do you want me to move him?" he whispered, grinning.  
  
When Thea had herself under control she whispered back, "No, I don't want to take the chance of waking him up. He probably couldn't resist the temptation to lay down for a minute when he came in to check on Joe." She turned to herd everyone out of the room then shut the door quietly. They all trooped back to the kitchen and just about everyone burst out laughing as soon as they were in the door.  
  
"I sure wish I had a picture of that," Hoss said as he held a chair out for Thea then sat down next to her at the table.  
  
"Now I don't want any of you teasing him about this," Thea said and gave him a chiding look.  
  
Hoss grinned, "Aw Thea, he'll be expectin' it. That's what brothers and friends are for."  
  
Thea shook her head and laughed at his eager expression, "Alright, but don't you give him too hard a time, it's not his fault he's exhausted." Hoss's face lit up with glee. "And don't forget, you'll need to harass Joe too, just to be fair."  
  
Hoss laughed his deep, rumbling laugh and took her hand in both of his, "Yes ma'am! If you say so."  
  
Almost everyone else in the room was laughing again as Thea's eyes met Ben's across the table. He nodded to her smiling, then leaned forward so she could hear him. "Hoss is right, Adam will be expecting it and would probably be disappointed if they didn't tease him."  
  
"I'm sure you're right," she said as she watched Annalise abandon Nate and come to climb up into her grandfather's lap. The little girl closed her eyes and she laid her head on his chest as Ben put his arms around her.  
  
Alexander then came to his uncle who lifted him up. The boy's bright eyes looked at his mother with concern. "Are you still sick, Ma?" he asked with a small quaver to his voice.  
  
She reached out and cupped his little chin in her hand. "No Alex, I'm just tired now," she said and his face lit up at her touch. "Can we sleep in your room tonight?" he asked and then squirmed with delight at her nod.  
  
The sun had just started to set and the lamps were lit as the other three women came back from the nursery to help Thea upstairs so the babies could be fed.  
  
The four women had just finished feeding and bathing the infants and were in Thea's room with the babies on the bed when Hoss and Ben appeared with the twins.  
  
"Did they eat for you?" Thea asked as Dulcy took Alexander and Cassandra took Annalise.  
  
Ben nodded, "They were both half asleep, but we managed to get some food into them," he said with a smile as the two women took the twins down the hall to their rooms to get them ready for bed. Marie followed them out into the hall.  
  
The two men came forward then and each picked up a baby. Hoss had Matthew, Ben had Thomas, and Thea bent over Benjamin on the bed in front of her.  
  
Matthew looked up at his uncle's face with wide hazel eyes then started kicking and waving his little fists around. One connected with Hoss's nose and he grinned. "This one's gonna be a fighter, just like his Pa."  
  
Ben held Thomas in the crook of his arm and when the child opened his eyes he was surprised to see they had lost the blue tint and had deepened to a dark green. He looked up at Thea. "I don't think I've ever seen eyes this color before." She laughed as Hoss came over to his father to see.  
  
"I have, my father's mother. She was considered to be an incomparable in London society because of her beauty. She was also a rebel, so they dubbed her an 'original'."  
  
Ben looked at her with raised eyebrows, "Something tells me you must take after her. You certainly don't take after your father." His expression said he was still furious with Doc.  
  
"Do any of them look like him?" Hoss asked.  
  
"No, and I'm very thankful for that," Thea said, then laughed at Benjamin's solemn little face and dark eyes, he looked as though he understood everything they were saying and was deeply concerned.  
  
"Hey Pa," Hoss said, "Want to switch?"  
  
Ben nodded and laid Thomas on the bed then took Matthew from his son's arms.  
  
Hoss eagerly lifted his namesake and said, "This one sure has grown a lot already."  
  
Thea smiled in agreement, "I know. I think he's going to be the biggest one and it looks like Ben here will be the smallest." She lifted the child to her shoulder and began to rub his back. "But babies can surprise you. You never know how they might turn out."  
  
The three of them continued to pass the babies around and soon Ben and Thomas were asleep. Matthew however, enjoyed the attention so much he was fighting to stay awake. But even he had succumbed by the time Dulcy, Marie, and Cassandra returned with the twins ready for bed.  
  
Thea's three friends took the babies back to the nursery as Ben and Hoss lifted the sleepy-eyed children into the bed and tucked them in with their mother in the middle. Ben put a hand on top of Thea's head and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead while Hoss waited for his father at the door.  
  
"Thank you," he said softly, turned the lamp down as far as it would go, then started to leave the room. He paused when Thea said, "Pa, I'm the one who should be thanking you."  
  
He paused to look back at her and smiled, "Just remember, you are a Cartwright now and we will always be here for you."  
  
Hoss nodded in agreement and said, "G'night Thea," as the two men left, closing the door behind them.  
  
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Adam jerked awake in the early hours of the morning and rubbed his irritated eyes as he looked around and tried to place himself. When he noticed the arm across his chest he turned his head and his eyes opened wide when he saw that it was Joe's. He carefully slid off the bed, trying not to jostle his brother awake. Once he was standing, he quickly went to the door and opened it without a sound. He stepped out into the hall and as he pulled the door closed he noticed a piece of paper tacked to the top panel.  
  
"I wonder if anyone saw that," he said quietly to himself as he went to the hall table and lit a candle. When he was back in front of the door he raised the light and read what was written on the paper. "Honeymoon Suite," it said in red ink and he started to laugh quietly and said, "I guess that answers my question," then looked closer at the writing. "Very funny Hoss," he said softly, and then laughed again. He was about to tear it down, but changed his mind and left it on the door.  
  
Two shadows had been creeping down the hallway toward him, one on either side but they both stopped when Adam said, "You know, you both have to learn how to walk silently. I heard you the second you stepped into the hallway."  
  
He heard Wes's voice say "Adam?" on his right and as he turned to the left, Nate stepped into the light cast by the candle.  
  
"What are you doing awake?" Nate asked, "Is the honeymoon over?"  
  
Wes put a hand over his mouth to muffle a snort of laughter.  
  
Adam gave Nate a narrow-eyed sideways glance, "As usual your rapier wit slays me."  
  
Both men were laughing quietly at Adam's irritation when he said, "Lets go downstairs so we don't wake anyone."  
  
When the three men were in the kitchen and seated at the table Adam said, "So you two drew guard duty for the first night?"  
  
They nodded and their expressions became serious as Wes said, "When are you going to tell them Jackson has escaped prison?"  
  
Adam's face tensed and his eyes became hard as he answered, "I still can't believe those guards were so foolish as to let his wife into that cell without searching her! Now a guard is dead and that monster is free again." He shook his head. "I'll tell them tomorrow when Charlie gets here with the rest of the guards. I want this place covered twenty-four hours a day and be sure not to pair up two of the new guards together."  
  
"Yes sir," they said together and some of the tension left Adam's face as he looked at his two closest friends. "Have I told you how much I appreciate your doing this for us?"  
  
Both men smiled and Wes actually blushed a little as Nate said, "Anytime, boss."  
  
Adam shook his head, grinning at them. "Well, I'm wide awake now, so why don't I make some coffee while you two do your rounds again. Then we can try to come up with some ideas about how to flush that weasel out and get him back in prison where he belongs."  
  
His two best friends immediately stood and went to inspect the house and grounds. Adam stayed in his chair for a moment and sighed. He was still tired but his mind was finally clear for the first time in the last week and he started to run through several ideas he had to bring Jackson in as he stood and went to make the coffee. 


	3. L & F PT 3 CH 20 RECOVERY

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
RECOVERY  
  
Chapter 20   
  
When Joe opened his eyes one morning a week after Adam's friends arrived he was badly startled to see Thea, Dulcy, Marie, and Cassandra all in his room. Thea and Marie were sitting while the other two stood at the foot of his bed.  
  
"Morning Joe," Thea said cheerfully as she leaned forward in her chair.  
  
He looked at her with sleep-dulled eyes then pulled the covers over his head. Thea laughed.  
  
"Dulcy?" she said and the tall, red-haired woman came to tug on the covers. Joe desperately tried to hold on to them, but was surprised when she managed to pull them out of his grasp. The tall woman pulled them down until they only covered him from the knees down. Joe shivered lying there in his nightshirt.  
  
"It's time to get up and move around some Joe, we don't want you to become bed-bound," Thea said. "We need to get you out of bed and dressed today. But don't worry, the first day is always the worst."  
  
Joe just stared at her in irritation as she looked back with raised eyebrows. "Do you need help getting dressed?" she said and Joe's eyes widened at the thought of the four of them dressing him.  
  
"No, I can do it myself," he said quickly and sat up, but a wave of dizziness broke over him and he fell back as the room came to a spinning stop.  
  
"Dear Lord, you're worse off than I thought," Thea said. "I'll send Adam up to help you. You didn't really think the four of us would do it, now did you?" She gave him a grin as she and Marie stood then the four women filed out of the room.  
  
Adam came through the door only a few minutes later.  
  
"Good morning," he said cheerfully and Joe groaned.  
  
"What is it with you now? You never used to be so annoying in the morning."  
  
"Could it be because I appreciate being alive? Or that I actually have something in my life to be cheerful about? Or the fact that my wife isn't dead?" Adam said and came to the side of the bed to look down at his brother.  
  
The irritable expression on Joe's face cleared and he looked earnestly up. "Thea looked fine when she was just in here. She IS alright now, isn't she?"  
  
Adam smiled at the younger man's concern. "She's fine and no one can believe how quickly she's recovered. And you need to recover too, so you have to get up and move around some. But don't worry, the first day is always the worst."  
  
Joe chuckled, "You two have been together too long - Thea just said the same thing to me." He slowly sat up as Adam watched him closely.  
  
"Alright so far?" Adam asked. Joe nodded. "Just stay sitting there for a minute."  
  
Sighing at how incredibly weak he felt, Joe watched Adam move around the room, collecting his clothes. Then he moved back to the bed.  
  
Adam took his legs by the ankle and slowly slid them over the edge of the bed. He let Joe sit there for a bit, then took him by the upper arms and helped him to stand.  
  
Joe helped as much as he could and by the time he was fully dressed he was exhausted. Adam pushed on his shoulder and told him to sit down. Then he left the room to send the four women back in.  
  
When they did, Marie and Cassandra each took an arm and they helped him stand again. Dulcy stepped in front of him and they walked very slowly out of the room with Thea following closely behind. She had taken that position so she could observe Joe without any distractions.  
  
As the five of them made their way downstairs she saw that his knees were starting to shake and he was having a small problem with walking in a straight line. When they reached the bottom of the stairs Thea said, "I don't think he's ready for going outside yet, so let's just go to the kitchen for a bit."  
  
When they reached the kitchen, Thea got a look at his face as he sank down gratefully into a chair at the table. "Why don't we all have some coffee and cake?" she said.  
  
"Thea," Joe said, "I don't understand this. Here I am as weak as a kitten and you look like you're back to normal."  
  
"Well," Thea answered as she moved around the kitchen, "having a major organ removed is a lot different than what I lost. Besides, women have more stamina for this sort of thing than men do."  
  
"More stamina?" Clearly Joe did not agree.  
  
Dulcy spoke up, "Think about it Joe. Women experience internal pain frequently and men don't."  
  
"Woman are used to enduring such things," Marie chimed in.  
  
Cassandra, always shy, just nodded.  
  
"My Momma always said that if men had to have the babies there'd be no children," Dulcy laughed and the other women nodded in agreement.  
  
"That is very true," Thea said as she brought a cake plate with a domed cover to the table and turned back to collect plates and utensils.  
  
Cassandra finally spoke, "The Good Lord made us this way for a reason Joe."  
  
He looked around the table at the women and actually became interested. "So you're saying God gave you more stamina to endure?"  
  
The women sitting at the table nodded and Thea said, "Of course," as she brought the cups to the table and turned back to bring the coffee pot. Then she sat down directly opposite the young man.  
  
"If you ever had the chance to study anatomy you'd be amazed at the intricate design of the human body. And I'm still wondering if we will ever understand how everything works, especially the brain. We understand so little about it," she shook her head as she started cutting slices of the cake and passing the plates and forks to her right. Cassandra stood and took the coffeepot around to fill the cups.  
  
Joe took a bite of the cake, feeling more alert than he had since the operation. "So how did you study anatomy?"  
  
Thea started to answer him, but then paused. "Well, how do you think I studied anatomy?"  
  
"From books?"  
  
"Partly, but the real learning happens in doing. So we 'studied' bodies."  
  
"Geez! You mean you cut them up!" Joe said as he put down his fork and picked up his coffee.  
  
Thea looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You should be thankful I did, otherwise how would I know where the spleen is, what it looks like, and how to take it out and not have you bleed to death in the process."  
  
"It's still kinda disgusting," Joe insisted.  
  
"Yes, but very useful," Thea laughed and the other women joined her.  
  
"We're used to her talking like that," Dulcy explained. "You'll get used to it too."  
  
Joe looked at the statuesque redhead and smiled, realizing he was having a good time. "Where did you and Wes first meet?"  
  
Thea cleared her throat and stood to take her cake-plate to the sink. Cassandra turned red and looked down at the table as she busily stirred her coffee. Marie smiled, wondering whether or not Dulcy would tell the truth.  
  
"I met Wes for the first time in a paddy-wagon," she said and they heard Thea choking on laughter at the sink.  
  
"A paddy-wagon?!"  
  
"Yes, but I didn't really get to 'meet' him until I started working for Adam after my release."  
  
"You were in prison?" Joe's voice had risen so high it almost squeaked.  
  
"Mmm hmm," she nodded, "didn't you know that? A lot of Adam's employees did time."  
  
Joe just sat there with his mouth hanging open.  
  
"It's true Joe," Thea said as she came back to the table and sat down. "He gave just about everyone he ever arrested a chance to go straight, but only one chance. One mess-up and you're out."  
  
Closing his mouth, Joe turned his gaze to Marie. She nodded.  
  
"No, you too?"  
  
"Yes, Joseph. You're brother caught me stealing food. But then he fought to get me a suspended sentence and sent me to school so I could learn how to be a secretary. When I finished he gave me that job."  
  
"You were stealing food?" Joe said not understanding.  
  
Marie nodded, "I was hungry, alone, and no one would hire me. Except your brother."  
  
Joe sat there for a while thinking, going over everything he had just heard. He thought about it intently and realized Adam had done all these things just because he thought they were the right and honorable things to do. He hadn't said a word, had not looked for approval or even acknowledgement. His seemingly tough and hard exterior covered a heart full of compassion for people.  
  
His thoughts naturally turned then to the love he had seen many times in Adam's eyes when he held his children, something Joe had seen but never actually saw before. These revelations also made him see his brother more clearly now and he made up his mind that his older brother's example was one he should follow. He was about to ask more questions when the back door opened and Adam came in.  
  
"Having a party?" he said and came to sit down next to his wife and looked Joe over with his sharp gaze. Joe stared back at his brother with everything he had just heard making him look at his older brother with new eyes.  
  
"Joe," Adam said, "why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
Joe blinked and tried for a natural expression, "No reason."  
  
"Well stop it, it's weird," Adam said giving him a frown.  
  
Everyone else at the table, including Joe, started laughing then and Adam looked at them like they were crazy. "What have you been drinking?" he asked and that only made them laugh harder.  
  
Thea leaned her head on his shoulder and when she could speak she said, "We were just telling Joe about how you found some of your best employees."  
  
"Ah," was all her husband said as he looked away, almost as though he was embarrassed. "Everyone deserves a second chance," he added quietly.  
  
"Even me?" Joe asked jokingly and Adam looked at him narrowly for a moment then he smiled.  
  
"Well, I guess there IS at least one exception to every rule," he said and the women laughed while Joe just grinned back at his brother.  
  
Thea was about to ask her husband if he was hungry when he stood and said, "I think it's time to get Joe back to his room and no, Thea, I don't need anything to eat."  
  
She shook her head at him for reading her mind again.  
  
Adam went to Joe and helped him up. "Every time I set foot in this kitchen she starts pushing food at me. If I ate every time she wanted me to I'd be Hoss's size."  
  
Joe grinned at that mental picture and the women were still chuckling as Adam pulled Joe's right arm across his shoulders and put his own left arm around the younger man's waist.  
  
The two slowly made their way upstairs and by the time they made it to Joe's room he was almost stumbling with fatigue. He made no protest as Adam got him back into his nightshirt and tucked him in.  
  
Joe closed his eyes, but they popped open again when Adam leaned over him, "Do you need anything else? A drink of water? A bedtime story?" The younger man laughed and grabbed a pillow to throw, but it just thumped harmlessly against the door as Adam pulled it closed behind him.  
  
He thought he would fall asleep right away, but instead found himself thinking about both of his older brothers and seeing similarities in their characters he hadn't been aware of before. Mentally shaking his head at himself for being oblivious, his thoughts turned to his father and how pleased he was with his grandchildren. When Pa was with them he seemed like a different person. For some reason the recent events had caused him to view everyone, including himself in a different light. He wasn't sure as to why things seemed different, but suspected it was because everyone around him was changing. Adam had grown in many ways to fulfill his potential, his father had finally come to understand he had to start treating his sons as men, and Hoss had become more comfortable dealing with women, thanks to Thea, and was having a wonderful time with the children.  
  
"Hoss would make a great father," was the last thought he would later remember thinking as he fell into a deep, peaceful, and healing sleep.  
  
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The next couple of weeks settled into a pleasant routine for Joe. For the first week the ladies would come in the morning to escort him around the house and grounds, then the walks always ended in the kitchen with some sort of food being served and interesting conversations.  
  
The second week the mornings were used for exercises that Thea told him were meant for stretching out his muscles and loosening his joints. The afternoons were reserved for walks.  
  
At the end of the two weeks Thea came to collect Joe one morning and she led him out toward the barn, but when they reached it she led him around the left side and down a path until they came through a gate in a high hedge. Joe saw a square, flat building with large windows in the top half of the walls.  
  
Thea tugged on his arm and led him up to the door, opened it, waved him inside then closed it behind him.  
  
Joe looked around and saw that the room was plain with bare wood walls and floor. The windows let plenty of light in showing strange equipment scattered around and mats on the floor. He jumped when he heard Adam say his name. He looked up to see Adam standing on a railed platform with a ladder leading up to it. His older brother reached out to grab a rope that hung down from a thick beam and started to lower himself. Joe stared, impressed by the sheer strength it took for him to lower himself so slowly and yet keep his body so perfectly straight.  
  
When Adam was finally standing he tossed the rope away and said, "Welcome, Joe. This is where we separate the men from the boys."  
  
Joe just looked at him with a puzzled expression as the other man shrugged out of his shirt as he moved over to what looked like a short bed, but with a rail at one end. He watched as Adam sat down right on the edge, swung his legs up, and then hooked his feet under the rail. Putting his hands behind his head he lowered his upper body until his head almost touched the floor, then sat back up. The muscles in his abdomen shook at first then began to stand out in sharp relief as Adam continued and Joe lost count.  
  
The older man's torso was shining with sweat by the time he stopped and sat up for the last time. He was breathing hard and reached for a towel to wipe himself off as he gave Joe a speculative look.  
  
"The ladies have done everything they can for you Joe, so now you belong to me."  
  
Joe's mouth dropped open. "What?"  
  
Adam laughed. "You will be working with me everyday to get your strength back."  
  
"Do I have a choice?"  
  
"Of course you do, and your choices are to stay the way you are, or work with me every day and be in the best shape you've ever been in your life. It's up to you." He smiled at Joe's expression. "You didn't really think I've stayed so strong by sitting behind a desk did you? I've had this setup everywhere we've ever lived and most of what I will be teaching you are the physical methods we used during my recovery. I've just never stopped."  
  
Joe looked around at the strange equipment and then at a boxing ring at one end of the room. He turned back to his brother when Adam spoke again.  
  
"I have to tell you from experience that at first this will hurt, a lot. Then it will hurt some more, but eventually the pain will be minimal and you just won't care." He gave Joe a wicked grin. "It's up to you, kid, so make your choice."  
  
"Will I have to fight you?" Joe said looking at the ring again. His brother laughed at his apprehensive expression.  
  
"No, but I can teach you what I know about fighting without actually knocking you senseless."  
  
Joe looked down and thought for a while. "I'd be pretty stupid to say 'no' wouldn't I?"  
  
"Yes, but don't let that stop you - it never has before."  
  
"Very funny."  
  
Adam just looked at him with one brow raised and a half-smile.  
  
"Alright, I agree. So when do we start?"  
  
"There's no time like the present," Adam said and laughed.  
  
"Why do I have this feeling I've made a big mistake by saying 'yes'?"  
  
Adam just laughed harder and that's when Joe truly began to worry.  
  
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An hour later Thea was standing at the sink in the kitchen washing dishes when the back door opened and Joe stumbled in. He didn't even glance at her, he just started almost crawling up the back stairs.  
  
She moved over to the doorway and watched him until he reached the top. Then she heard his slow footsteps as he went to his room, the sound of the door opening and closing, and then the unmistakable creaking sound of his body hitting the bed.  
  
The back door opened again and Adam came in. He was shaking with inaudible laughter and when he took one look at her concerned face he just shook his head and started laughing out loud. She stared at his back as he turned away, walked across the kitchen, and went into the hallway.  
  
His laughter seemed to get louder as he moved away and she could still hear it until he went into his tower office and shut the door.  
  
Thea raised her eyes heavenward, shook her head, sighed, and went back to her dishes. 


	4. L & F PT 3 CH 21 IN WITH THE NEW

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
IN WITH THE NEW  
  
Chapter 21  
  
The employees at the Eden House in San Francisco were efficiently dealing with a heavy influx of guests on a cold, blustery day in the middle of November - a passenger ship from England had docked that morning.  
  
The lobby was already full as two men entered. The first was tall and rail thin with a dead-white complexion, bright red hair, and very pale gray eyes. He was dressed elegantly in black and sniffed as he looked around. The second was a short, very stocky blonde man who was wearing clothing more suited to the English moors. His suit was made from heavy black-and- brown tweed and was mostly covered by a caped greatcoat.  
  
"Well Samuel," the tall man said in a soft, too smooth voice, "Welcome to the lawless west."  
  
The other man snickered in appreciation of his employer's wit. "We seen a lot worse Jimmy."  
  
The tall man's face tightened, "How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that?"  
  
"Sure boss, I just forgot."  
  
Seemingly mollified, the other man continued, "And this place is considered to be sophisticated compared to where we are going."  
  
"Virginia City?"  
  
"Yes Samuel," he sighed, "but I think we'll stay here for a couple of days before taking the train. The crossing was rather rough."  
  
The shorter man just nodded, and finally it was their turn to approach the front desk.  
  
"Have you two rooms available?" the red-haired man said to the desk clerk.  
  
"No sir, but we do have a small suite available with two bedrooms and a small sitting room."  
  
"That will do nicely."  
  
"Yes sir, may I have your name please?"  
  
"James Stonehouse, Esquire."  
  
"Thank you sir, how many days will you be staying with us?"  
  
"I believe two will be sufficient."  
  
The clerk nodded, "Would you please sign here, sir?"  
  
"Certainly," Stonehouse said then continued as he signed, "Perhaps you could help me with some information. We have come to this country to see a former resident of your fair city, a Mr. Adam Cartwright."  
  
The young man behind the desk looked up at him, his face now a cool mask, "I'm sorry, but I am not permitted to give out any information on the owner of this hotel." He turned toward the key boxes behind him, chose a key, and turned back to motion toward a bellman who came forward. The clerk handed him the key.  
  
"I hope you enjoy your stay, sir, and if there is anything else you need please let us know," the man behind the desk said and stared at the two men impassively.  
  
The tall man raised an eyebrow at being the impertinence of being brushed off by what he considered to be a member of the working class and turned away without further comment.  
  
The clerk continued to watch the two men as they went up the stairs then turned to the other clerk who was sitting down behind the desk and working on billing.  
  
"Hey Max," he said and the other young man looked up, "Did you hear that?"  
  
"Yep, I couldn't help but hear."  
  
"What the hell do you think he wants information on Adam for?"  
  
"I've heard some rumors and I think it has something to do with Thea's father's will. It's pretty clear they're from England, so that would be my guess."  
  
The other clerk nodded, "I've heard the same rumors and I think you're right. I also think I ought to send Wes a telegram and let him decide whether or not Adam needs to be warned."  
  
Max laughed, "I was just thinking the same thing, Jeff."  
  
The two young men grinned at each other for a moment then Max stood. "I'll cover the desk if you want to go do it now."  
  
"Thanks," Jeff said gratefully. "The sooner I send that telegram off the better I'll feel. It's probably nothing, but you know how Wes is."  
  
"Adam, too!" Max chuckled and watched his friend move quickly across the lobby and hurry out the front door. He turned the book on the counter around, looked at the signature, and said to himself, "So, you're James Stonehouse, Esquire are you? And you're from London no less. Hmmm...I think it might be a good idea to give your suite a thorough inspection before you leave. Wouldn't want anything to be sub-standard for a posh gentlemen like yourself." He grinned, looking forward to using the skills he had learned at a very young age in Chicago when he had been making a living as a professional thief. At least he had until Adam had caught him in the act at the ripe old age of seventeen. He felt confident he could find out everything they wanted to know about the two men without them being any the wiser.  
  
Unfortunately for Max, he was sadly mistaken, and would never be seen dead or alive by anyone again.  
  
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The hour had just struck midnight when Sam returned to their suite. He removed the caped greatcoat and hung it on the hall tree near the door.  
  
Stonehouse came out of his room and looked at the other man expectantly. "Any trouble?"  
  
"Nah, easy as pie," Sam said and yawned as he sat in an armchair in front of the fireplace. "What do you think he was looking for, boss?"  
  
"Probably just whatever he could steal, but he saw too much, now didn't he?"  
  
"Curiosity killed the cat!" Sam laughed nastily. "But don't it seem odd that no one in this here town will say a thing about Cartwright?"  
  
"Yes it does, and I'm just not sure yet why. Perhaps the man has a shady reputation himself and they keep their mouths shut out of fear. But what I DO know is that he can't be particularly intelligent. How could he be, living in a God-forsaken place like Nevada among the cattle and the prairie dogs? I don't anticipate any problems from him."  
  
Sam nodded, but was clearly still dubious about that point.  
  
"I think it behooves us to get some rest."  
  
The two men went to their respective rooms and shut the doors. Both fell asleep quickly and neither stirred from their deep, dreamless sleep until the sun rose the next morning.  
  
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Stonehouse stood on the board sidewalk in front of the train depot and looked around at what he could see of Virginia City with distaste. A brief thaw had occurred and the street was partly still frozen and partly mud. His pinched nostrils quivered as he breathed in scents almost foreign to him, having been born and raised in the best part of London and always disdained the countryside. The sound of cattle lowing, as they were loaded into boxcars seemed to be scraping across nerves already stretched to the limit and his temper was close to the breaking point.  
  
Sam came out of the depot and walked up to his employer, aware of the tall man's excitable state, so he waited for him to speak first.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Looks like everyone in there thinks our best chance of finding Cartwright is probably in a saloon called the Sage Brush that's on this end of town."  
  
"A saloon? At eleven in the morning?" Stonehouse said in disbelief.  
  
"Yep. Guess he spends a lot of time there."  
  
The lawyer smiled nastily, "The man must be a sot." He nodded, "Good, that will only help."  
  
The two men turned then and moved down the sidewalk until they reached the Sage Brush. When they entered, the lawyer was surprised to see that most of the tables were full, so he went directly to the bar to speak to the bartender.  
  
"Excuse me, my good man, can you tell us if a Mr. Adam Cartwright is present?" he said, his pale gray eyes clearly showing his contempt.  
  
Larry looked back at the tall man coldly and nodded toward the large table near the door.  
  
The lawyer turned his head to look and saw two men sitting there. One was blonde and dressed in well-worn clothing typical of the residents of the town. The other man was dressed in a well-tailored, immaculate black suit that emphasized his powerful form. The dark-haired man was holding some papers and was seemingly discussing them with the wiry blonde man sitting next to him.  
  
Stonehouse automatically assumed the blonde was the man they were seeking.  
  
Adam looked up when he noticed the two men standing in front of his table.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
The taller man looked down his long pale nose at Adam and sniffed, "We are looking for a Mr. Adam Cartwright."  
  
"That would be me," Adam said as he stood.  
  
The pale man was startled. "Ah!" he said as he gave Adam a tight smile. "I am James Stonehouse, of Wellington, Jameson, and Taft in London." He indicated the man standing next to him, "And this is my associate Samuel McClaren. I believe you recently received correspondence from our firm regarding Alexander and his inheritance." He extended his right hand.  
  
"I see," Adam said as he ignored the lawyer's hand and sat down. "Just what is the purpose of your visit?"  
  
The lawyer drew his hand back and glanced at Nate, "Perhaps it would be best if we spoke alone," he smiled awkwardly.  
  
Nate started to stand, but Adam stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Anything you need to say to me you can say in front of MY associate."  
  
Stonehouse stopped smiling.  
  
"Very well then, we have come to offer ourselves as escorts to young Alexander."  
  
"Escorts?"  
  
"Yes, we are assuming that the boy and his mother are ready to fulfill the terms of Sir Richard's will and travel to England with us."  
  
Adam narrowed his eyes, "No."  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"I said no. My son is four years old and he is not going anywhere without me, and he is NOT going to England at this time, or anytime in the foreseeable future."  
  
"But the terms of Sir Richard's will state..."  
  
"The terms of that man's will mean less than nothing to me and judging by his behavior, I have no intention of letting my son associate with people of his type." Adam shook his head, "Besides, Alexander and his inheritance are no longer any concern of yours."  
  
"I don't understand," the lawyer impossibly went even paler.  
  
"It's very simple - you're fired."  
  
Stonehouse stared at Adam with bulging eyes, "You can't do that!"  
  
"Yes I can as Alexander's father and guardian. You and your firm have shown your incompetence by taking seven years to find Theadora, and quite frankly I don't care for the high-handed way you have dealt with this situation."  
  
The lawyer's face turned bright red and he opened his mouth to argue, but Adam cut him off.  
  
"When you return to London, be prepared to turn all documents over to Sir John Edgecombe. He and his firm have been my solicitors for years and they will be taking over management of the estate."  
  
"Mr. Cartwright," the lawyer said desperately, "Couldn't we discuss this as gentlemen and come to some kind of compromise?"  
  
"We have nothing to discuss," Adam stated as he stood. "Good day," he said and walked away. Nate had to run to catch up.  
  
The two stunned men turned to watch him stride through the front door, his posture and the way he moved speaking worlds to them about their mistaken assumptions.  
  
"Shit," Sam said and Stonehouse turned to frown down at him. "Watch your language, Samuel," was all he said as his eyes flashed angrily at having been given the "cut direct" by a man he considered to be his social inferior.  
  
"Well, what are we going to do now?" Sam insisted.  
  
"I don't know yet, but it is clear we have badly underestimated this man. And it seems clear to me that we must take some time to learn as much about him as possible before deciding our next move."  
  
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather just cut and run?" Sam said, having a hollow feeling in his gut that they were in over their heads.  
  
"Oh no. I've put too much time and effort into this and I will not be thwarted by that arrogant peasant," the lawyer said as he glared down at his henchman. He continued, "Finding accommodations seems to be our next order of business. After that you can start collecting information on that upstart."  
  
Sam nodded and the two left the saloon, unaware that many eyes had been watching them with keen interest. As soon as the two men were through the door the gossip and speculation started, ensuring that Adam would eventually hear all about their odd behavior and the fact that they were still in town. 


	5. L & F PT 3 CH 22 OLD FRIENDS

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
OLD FRIENDS  
  
Chapter 22  
  
Men were pouring into the Sage Brush, drawn there by the spreading word that "Buffalo Bill" Cody was in town. Adam's father and brothers had met at their usual table near the door when the legend walked in. Everyone was listening intently to the conversation going on at Cody's table so no one noticed when Adam came in, made his way to the end of the bar and leaned on it with one elbow.  
  
The bartender, Larry, immediately came over and placed a mug of beer in front of him, but Adam didn't touch it. Cody had just started telling a tale of one of his many exploits - when he had single handedly defended a way station against a horde of rampaging Cheyenne, an account Adam knew to be entirely fictional as many of them were.  
  
The legend was just warming up to his subject when Adam demanded, "Why don't you tell them the truth, Bill?"  
  
Buffalo Bill stood up scowling fiercely, "And just what truth would that be?"  
  
Adam straightened up and stepped away from the bar, "You ran around in there screaming like a girl, then puked and passed out."  
  
"I know that voice," Bill said scanning the crowd and spotting Adam almost immediately.  
  
"Of course that bottle of what Duncan liked to call whisky you drank might have had something to do with it," Adam mused as Cody started stalking toward him.  
  
"You no good...ugly...lying...son-of-a..." he stopped right in front of Adam and his fierce scowl turned into a delighted grin as he held out his hand, "Adam Eden! How the hell are you?"  
  
Adam laughed and slapped his hand into Bill's, giving it a strong, firm shake. "Fine, you ignorant bastard. Where the hell have you been?"  
  
Cody started laughing as Adam continued, "Two years; two years and not a word from you. Thea's been worried."  
  
"And how is that gorgeous, loving wife of yours that you don't deserve?"  
  
"Fine, and when she finds out you've been this close to San Francisco and didn't let her know she's going to be very irritated with you."  
  
"Speaking of being in town, what are you two doing in Virginia City?"  
  
"We live here now. I accepted a position with the Marshall's office and you'll have to get used to calling me by the last name of Cartwright instead of Eden."  
  
"You found your family?!?"  
  
"No, they found me, and I think they're starting to regret it by now."  
  
"Of course they are. When do I get to meet them?"  
  
Adam laughed, "Actually, they're sitting right behind you."  
  
Bill turned around and the two of them came up to the table. Ben and Hoss and Joe stood.  
  
"Bill, this is my father Benjamin Cartwright."  
  
Cody took Ben's hand in both of his, "My condolences, sir. I know this has been a terrible trial for you and your family."  
  
Ben chuckled and shook the other man's hand, "Thank you...I think."  
  
Adam turned to Hoss next, "And this is my brother Hoss Cartwright."  
  
When Bill shook Hoss's hand he put on a serious face and said, "You have my deepest sympathy." Hoss just nodded his head and grinned.  
  
Both irritated and amused Adam turned to Joe, "And this is my other brother Joseph Cartwright."  
  
Bill shook his head and gave Joe his hand, "Such a terrible tragedy to happen to someone so young. You'll be in my prayers, son." Joe couldn't help but laugh at Bill's pious expression.  
  
"Are you finished?" Adam said and pulled a chair out while indicating for Bill to have a seat.  
  
"Why yes, I think I am," Cody laughed.  
  
"You are such a ham. Are you always on stage now?"  
  
"Pretty much," Cody said and smiled, not in the least bit repentant. "But tell me the truth, how is Thea?"  
  
"By that I figure you're asking if she's still annoyed with you, and the answer is 'yes'."  
  
"I would have thought she would be over that by now.'  
  
"No she is not over it."  
  
"It was just a harmless prank. "  
  
"A harmless prank? You shaved her dog."  
  
"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time."  
  
"Look, just because the dog was a sheep dog did not mean you needed to shear him." Adam shook his head at Bill. "Just how drunk were you?"  
  
"I don't remember."  
  
"I'll bet," Adam said then gave him a narrow look. "So tell me, did it grow back?"  
  
"Eventually, yes."  
  
"Took about a year, didn't it?'  
  
Bill looked at Adam in surprise. "How did you know?"  
  
"Because that's how long it took for that damn dog to get back to normal. I told you Bill, she did it on purpose."  
  
"No, Thea wouldn't do something that spiteful."  
  
Adam rolled his eyes and sighed. "This is starting to become irritating. Why does everyone think they know my wife better than I do?"  
  
Joe couldn't take not knowing and interrupted, "What did she do?"  
  
"She bided her time and waited until Bill had a chest cold. Then put a mustard plaster on him that made all his chest hair fall out."  
  
Ben raised his eyebrows in surprise and disbelief while Joe dissolved into laughter.  
  
"She really did that?" Hoss asked, giving Adam a skeptical look.  
  
"YES!" Adam almost shouted, clearly annoyed.  
  
"No," Bill persisted, "she wouldn't do that, she's too sweet."  
  
"All right, that does it. We are going to ask her," Adam said then nodded toward the door. Thea had just come in and stood there smiling.  
  
Bill got up and met her halfway to the table, scooped her up, and twirled her around. "Bill!" she laughed, "now is not a good time to do that, I'm still a little unsteady."  
  
He immediately set her down carefully. "Unsteady?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, "Giving birth can do that to a woman," she whispered and laughed at his expression.  
  
Smiling down at her he offered her his arm then escorted her to the table. The men stood and after Thea was seated Bill gave Adam an admonishing look.  
  
"Another child? Don't you think that was a little too soon?"  
  
"Not that it's any of your business Bill, but the twins are four years old now, and soon to be five." Adam was clearly passing annoyed and was becoming angry.  
  
"No, that can't be!" Cody said then looked at Thea for confirmation. She nodded.  
  
"So what was this one?"  
  
"All three were boys," Adam answered him and changed the subject as Bill stared at him in disbelief. "Ask her Bill."  
  
"No, that would be an insult to the lady."  
  
"If you don't, I will."  
  
"All right!" Bill said, and reluctantly turned to Thea who was looking at him expectantly.  
  
"Thea, I'm sure this brute of a husband of yours is wrong, but he insists you did something on purpose with that mustard plaster to get back at me for shearing Chester."  
  
Thea laughed her sweet laugh and patted Bill on the arm. "Of course I did Bill, you deserved it. I was just teaching you a lesson."  
  
His mouth fell open and he stared at her. Thea grinned cheekily back at him, a wicked gleam in her eye.  
  
The silence lengthened until it was finally broken by Bill's huge roar of laughter. "You naughty child! I never would have believed it of you."  
  
"I know," Thea said, still grinning as the rest of the men at the table began laughing too.  
  
When they finally quieted down Cody turned to her again. "So what was the lesson?"  
  
She leaned forward and looked him in the eye. "Never, ever, mess with me and what is mine."  
  
Adam stood then and helped Thea up as he shook his head. The other men automatically stood and they all looked at Thea in disbelief.  
  
"Why are you all so surprised?" her husband said as he offered her his arm. "Who do you think she got that attitude from?"  
  
Thea laughed again and winked at Bill, "Adam's father and brothers are coming for dinner tonight Bill, so why don't you come too? You can't miss our house it's the cream-colored brick with two towers on the north end of town. Dinner is at six o'clock, and don't worry, I'll behave myself and all is forgiven," she said as they turned away and strolled out the door.  
  
The four men left behind sat back down and looked blankly at each other.  
  
"I'm not sure if I should be afraid of her or proud of her," Joe said looking at his father.  
  
Ben laughed, "Well, I think I'm going to choose to be proud. She is family now, after all."  
  
"Yeah," Hoss said, "That means you and me and Joe are safe, right?"  
  
"Yes it does," his father answered, still smiling.  
  
Bill Cody cleared his throat, "So tell me Mr. Cartwright, have you ever considered adopting another son?" 


	6. L & F PT 3 CH 23 THE ATTEMPT

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
THE ATTEMPT  
  
Chapter 23  
  
Adam had stayed much later at the temporary office than he had intended to and it was already eight o'clock; he knew Thea would be worrying.  
  
He had almost passed the Regional Office building and he glanced at it as he went by, glad the outer walls and roof were on. But he stopped and turned to look again. There was a weak flicker of light in one of the third-floor windows. He debated for a while about going home and bringing back help, but decided not to.  
  
When he reached the front door he saw that it was open just a crack. Instantly alert, he pulled his weapon and cautiously pushed the door open further. Turning his head back and forth, he listened as hard as he could, trying to sense any movement. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he slipped inside and stood perfectly still, waiting.  
  
Still not hearing anything, he moved toward the stairs and silently started up, stopping frequently to listen. He reached the third floor and poked his head through the doorway and saw a small candle in a dish on the floor.  
  
Moving silently into the room in the dim light, he didn't see the heavy black thread being used as a trip wire until he felt it break. He only had time to think "Stupid, stupid mistake" before something heavy swung toward him out of the darkness and smashed him in the back of the head. Adam was unconscious even before he hit the floor.  
  
The sound of the first floor windows blowing out some time later startled almost everyone in that part of town awake, including Adam. Black smoke was pouring up the stairwell and rising up to the rafters. He tried to sit up, but fell back down again as he shook his head, trying to clear it. Realizing he was tangled up in a rope, he looked up and saw it hanging down from what he could dimly see through the smoke was a pulley. That must have been what hit him in the head.  
  
Dragging the rope with him, he crawled toward the side window that faced the hotel next door and pulled himself up using the window ledge. He paused long enough to coil the rope up and ducked his head and one shoulder through it.  
  
When he tried to open the window, he saw that it was nailed shut so covering his eyes with one arm, he used the other to smash through the glass with his elbow. Then he kicked at the dividing wood until the opening was cleared. The thick, black smoke had billowed around him when he smashed the window and now he was coughing and retching as he climbed up on the sill, turned around, and grabbed the edge of the roof to pull himself up.  
  
He heard people on the ground gasp as they saw him come out the window and now he lay on the hot roof for a few moments to get his breath. When his head seemed reasonably clear, he stood and went to the edge to look down. All the building materials that had been stacked around the structure were blazing, making it impossible to use the rope to get down to the ground. The situation was the same on all four sides.  
  
People were calling up to him, but he ignored them, thinking furiously. Then he noticed how close a chimney was on the roof of the hotel. The building he was standing on had one on the same side.  
  
Quickly he fashioned one end of the rope into a lasso then stood on the very edge of the roof to throw it. He breathed a sigh of relief when it settled smoothly and neatly around the opposite chimney. He wound the other end around the chimney on the office roof, tied it fast then carefully lowered himself back down on the window ledge. Turning around to face the hotel he tugged on the rope as hard as he could to test it and it held.  
  
"Well, I have no choice," he said softly to himself as he grabbed the rope and began to move hand over hand across the space in between the two buildings.  
  
He was more than halfway across when he felt the rope start to give behind him. The fire was about to burn through it.  
  
"Damn," he said under his breath then tightened his grip on the rope as it gave way.  
  
He swung his legs up as he hurtled toward the hotel wall; he was aiming for a second floor window, but instead of crashing through feet first, he smashed through with his right side. No sooner had he hit the floor than a man jumped on him and a woman screamed. He groaned in pain as the man's heavy body drove shards of glass deeper into him as he was pressed into the floor.  
  
"Get off me!" he managed to choke out and the other man froze. "Adam?" he heard Bill's voice say and the heavy weight lifted.  
  
A match flared and a lamp was lit. Adam opened his eyes to see a buck- naked Bill crouched over him near his head, and an equally naked woman standing next to a dresser where the lamp was. He closed his eyes and tried not to let his amusement show.  
  
"What the hell happened here?" Bill said, still crouched over Adam. The alcohol on his breath was strong enough to make the man on the floor cough.  
  
He opened his eyes and said, "If you don't mind, I would rather discuss this with you after you get dressed and THAT isn't about to poke me in the eye."  
  
Bill looked down at himself, seemingly surprised by his nude state.  
  
"Oh, sorry" he said as he stood and started pulling on his clothes; the woman didn't move.  
  
Adam let his eyes fall shut again as he waited and didn't open them again until Bill said his name.  
  
He held his left hand out to the other man and was pulled painfully to his feet. Bill looked him over and saw two large pieces of the window glass sticking out - one in Adams's right shoulder and the other in his right thigh. The only other damage was a wicked slash on his right jaw.  
  
The injured man stood there swaying for a moment until Bill pulled Adam's left arm across his own shoulders and put his right arm around Adam's waist. The two men then began to move slowly toward the door.  
  
When they paused in front of the door, the woman came and opened it. Adam glanced quickly at her face and said, "Sorry ma'am."  
  
She just laughed and said, "Don't worry about it honey, this is the most excitement this room has seen all week."  
  
Bill grumbled, "Very funny, Josephine," and Adam bit back a chuckle as they went through the door. She closed it behind them without further comment.  
  
"You know," Adam said in a serious tone, "not drinking so much will help with that little problem of yours."  
  
"Oh shut up," his friend said and began to help him hobble down the hallway.  
  
They worked their way down the stairs and when they went outside the people assembled there were so involved with the fire no one really noticed them. They skirted the crowd and made their way to the other side of the street and started down toward the house.  
  
When they were almost there they heard Thea calling from the front door.  
  
"What is it Nate?"  
  
"Looks like a fire and it looks like the new office building is what's burning."  
  
"Dear Lord! Adam isn't home yet, shouldn't you go see?"  
  
"I want to, but I can't. Adam would skin me alive if I left my post," Nate answered.  
  
"You've got that right." Adam said to them from the darkness of the street as Bill helped him through the gate, up the walk, and then up the steps.  
  
"What happened?" Thea asked as she stepped back and held the door open for them. Adam was about to answer her when they entered the well-lit hall and Thea let out a shriek of surprise, anger, and horror.  
  
All three men flinched; Nate had followed them in.  
  
"Ah Thea. Did you have to do that? Now you've woken up the whole house," Adam said as they heard doors opening and the sound of running feet.  
  
"Well pardon me, but seeing you with huge pieces of glass stuck in you always has a tendency to startle me, no matter how many times it happens!"  
  
Her husband actually laughed. "That was a pretty good shot at me, dear."  
  
"Thank you," she answered as she finished assessing his condition. "You know how much your praise means to me." Adam laughed again.  
  
She turned to Bill while ignoring the reactions of the people filling the hall. "Please take him down to the kitchen, I will be right there." The two men started down the hallway.  
  
"Whoo boy! Is she mad at you!" Bill said with a grin.  
  
"Good," Adam answered. "She does her best work when she's mad. I'd still be dead if she hadn't been absolutely furious that night in the morgue."  
  
Bill just laughed and shook his head as they entered the kitchen and were followed by the rest of the household.  
  
Nate came forward and pulled one of the chairs a good distance away from the table and turned it sideways. Bill carefully lowered Adam into the chair.  
  
Then Thea came pushing through the people standing in the doorway. She put her bag down on the table and turned to address them, politely and firmly.  
  
"Now, Marie please put water on to boil. Cassandra, please go upstairs to the linen closet and bring down as many towels as you can carry. Wes, Charlie I need more light so please bring four lamps and set them on the table." Then she turned to assess Adam's wounds.  
  
Adam had been sitting there with his eyes closed and his head down. As soon as Thea touched the glass sticking out of his shoulder his head snapped up and his eyes opened wide.  
  
"Shouldn't you be giving him some laudanum or morphine for the pain?" Matt's voice said from the doorway.  
  
"NO!" both Adam and Thea almost shouted at him.  
  
"Alright, it was just a suggestion," Matt said, surprised at their reaction.  
  
Thea asked, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I saw the fire and spotted Bill and Adam heading down toward the house and I figured you could use some help."  
  
"Thank you," she answered gratefully as she pulled him over to the sink to wash his hands.  
  
Adam was wide-awake now and he looked around at the people who were standing and staring at him.  
  
"Nate, go canvas the crowd watching the fire. Remember to keep an eye out for anyone who seems too interested. Jerry, you take a look around and see if you can figure out how it started."  
  
The two men nodded and left.  
  
"Mike, John," he said as he pointed to Bill, who was sitting in a corner sound asleep. "Dump him on a bed somewhere to sleep it off then take over guard duty."  
  
John helped Mike drape Bill across his shoulders and the two left.  
  
Wes and Charlie had just returned with the lamps and set them on the table as ordered. Then they looked at Adam for further instruction. "I want you two to stay here, I may be needing your help." Both men nodded.  
  
Then Adam noticed one large and two small shadows near the back stairs that were moving toward the table.  
  
"Cassandra, may I have a towel please?" he said to the young woman who had returned and was standing in the doorway, frozen with her arms full of towels.  
  
She handed him one then put the rest on a chair as he pressed it to the slash on his jaw and watched his two older children come into the light. They both looked ready to cry, so he laughed and held his left arm out to them.  
  
They ran to press up against his left side and looked up at him with frightened eyes. He squeezed them tight with his good arm while keeping the towel pressed against his jaw.  
  
"Don't look so worried, I'm going to be fine," he said looking down at them. "Your mother and Matt will fix me up just like new."  
  
"Like Grandpa?" Annalise said, having never forgotten that accident with the bow and arrows.  
  
"Right, just like Grandpa," he said and looked at Cassandra and Dulcy. "Would you mind taking them back to bed?"  
  
The two women quickly came and each picked up a child after their father leaned down, kissed them on the forehead and whispered, "Don't worry." Marie followed.  
  
Balor started to follow the two women with the children, but suddenly changed course and came to sit in front of Adam. The dog put his head on his master's knee, looked up at him with his shaggy brow furrowed, and sighed.  
  
Adam laughed and stroked the dog's head. "I know how you feel boy." Balor sighed again as his master scratched him behind the ears for a bit. Giving the dog one more pat he looked him in the eyes and said, "Balor, guard."  
  
The dog stood, wagged his tail a few times, then turned and followed the women who had taken his charges upstairs.  
  
He heard Matt laugh behind him when the animal was gone saying, "Boy, you sure know how to clear a room."  
  
"Just a natural talent," Adam said with a sigh as Matt began to cut the cloth away from around the piece of glass in his shoulder.  
  
Thea came to kneel at his right side and looked at the glass embedded in his thigh, "I don't think this has hit anything major, if it had there would be more blood." Then she began to cut the cloth away from that wound.  
  
"I'm ready to pull this one out," Matt said and Adam nodded at Wes and Charlie to come help hold him still.  
  
Both men had a firm grip on his upper arms, but it didn't seem necessary, Adam didn't move a muscle. Matt began to probe that wound, looking for smaller pieces of glass when Thea was ready.  
  
Wes held Adam's upper thigh while Charlie held onto his calf. His leg shook, the muscles convulsing while Thea quickly pulled the glass out. Then the leg relaxed.  
  
Thea looked up at her husband, taking in his ashen face and eyes that were starting to glaze over. "I'm sorry, Adam, but we are going to have to shave your beard off to stitch that gash on your jaw."  
  
He smiled down at her and nodded that he understood.  
  
"Charlie, would you go to our room and get Adam's shaving things?"  
  
The big man nodded and left quickly, his face a little green at the blood now puddled on the floor.  
  
Wes stepped away as Thea began to probe the wound in Adam's thigh and pulled out of a few small shards of glass. Matt had already cleaned the shoulder wound and was just about finished stitching it.  
  
"Thea," he said, "why don't you let me close that wound and you take care of his face. If you do the stitching the scarring will be much less."  
  
The two changed places as Charlie returned with the razor, soap, brush, and cup. Thea took a pair of scissors out of her bag and began to clip away as much of his beard as she could. Then she shaved the rest of it away, being very careful around the wound.  
  
Matt had finished closing the gash in Adam's thigh and when he stood up he looked down into the other man's face and gave him a startled look.  
  
Thea wasn't paying any attention as she took her smallest suture needle to thread it with the finest suture she had. She motioned for Wes to help hold Adam's head still and she started to close the wound. Adam flinched and she said, "I'm sorry," but he just laughed. "It's not the stitching Thea, Wes is just squeezing the swelling on the back of my head. That's where the pulley hit and knocked me out."  
  
"Oh sorry," Wes said, embarrassed and let go of Adam's head when he waved him away. "I'll be fine...thanks for all your help Wes."  
  
The big man stepped back and just watched as Thea quickly and neatly closed the wound on Adam's jaw. Matt shook his head, admiring how her long, flexible fingers flew, leaving behind a neat row of sutures that were almost impossible to see.  
  
"You were hit in the back of the head and knocked out?" she said as she stitched. "Why didn't you say so?"  
  
"Would you believe I forgot?"  
  
Thea chuckled as she stepped around and in front of her husband then reached back and gently felt the swelling. Then she cupped a hand over his left eye for a moment then lifted it quickly to see how his pupils were reacting. She did the same with the other eye. Both were reacting normally. Then she had him track her index finger as she moved it to either side then up and down. She straightened up and sighed, glad they were finished and that her husband was fine. But when she looked down into Adam's face as his wife instead of his doctor her eyes went wide with surprise and he gave her a puzzled look.  
  
"What?"  
  
Thea gently cupped his chin in her palm and slowly moved his head from side to side, still staring. "I can't believe you have been hiding this face under that beard for all these years."  
  
"Thea..." he started to argue with her, but she shook her head and interrupted him.  
  
"Oh no, bubbeleh, I don't want to see all that hair on your face again."  
  
He stared at her for a moment then looked at Matt, Wes, and Charlie. They were all staring at him as though they had never seen him before.  
  
Then Matt seemed to recover his wits, laughed at Adam's expression and said, "She called you 'bubbeleh', you know what that means."  
  
Adam raised his eyes heavenward and sighed as Wes asked, "What DOES that mean?"  
  
"It means he won't be growing his beard back," Thea answered him.  
  
Her husband looked at her and shook his head until he realized what her expression was saying. She leaned down to kiss him and said softly in his ear, "I'm so glad you recuperate quickly."  
  
Suddenly losing his cherished beard didn't seem like such a bad thing after all. 


	7. L & F PT 3 CH 24 LOOSE ENDS

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
LOOSE ENDS  
  
Chapter 24  
  
Thea was in the kitchen at eight o'clock the next morning waiting for Adam to wake up. He was normally up at a very early hour, usually about five o'clock, but his injuries had kept him in bed much later. She would have preferred that he stay in bed all day, but the enforced inactivity he had suffered through during his recovery had left him with an aversion to bed rest of any kind. So she was waiting for him to make an appearance.  
  
About fifteen minutes later she heard someone coming down the back stairs slowly and knew it was him. He walked carefully into the kitchen and took his usual seat at the table. Thea brought him a steaming cup of coffee and sat down to his right. He wrapped both hands around the cup and quietly said "Thank you."  
  
She looked him over noting how pale he looked, even with his naturally dark complexion. But his hands were steady, and his eyes reasonably clear. The blow to the head and the loss of blood had him weak, but already recovering. She reached out and put her hand on his right forearm and he put his left hand on top of hers. "I'm fine," he said and squeezed her hand while giving her a half-smile.  
  
"I suppose you are going to insist that I eat something now, even though I don't particularly want to," he continued.  
  
"Feeling a little nausea?" she asked and he nodded.  
  
She stood, "Blood loss can do that to you. Do you think you could manage some egg custard?"  
  
His eyebrows rose as he watched her moving around the kitchen, taking a small baking dish from the oven and opening a drawer to take out a spoon. When she came back to the table and placed the still-warm custard in front of him he smiled.  
  
"You got up early this morning just to make this for me, didn't you?"  
  
She nodded and sat down again after giving him the spoon and a napkin. "I know it's one of your favorites, and I knew how awful you'd be feeling."  
  
He looked at her in wonder, "Nothing ever really overwhelms you, does it? A full house constantly, me coming home in pieces, and in-laws that are always here."  
  
She smiled and shook her head. "I love it, Adam. You don't know what it's like to grow up without family. Yes, Doc made sure I was taken care of, but he was a very cold, withdrawn man. But now I have a father, brothers, children, friends that are chosen family, and most of all, I have YOU." Thea looked him right in the eye so he would know she meant every word she was saying.  
  
He reached out to take one of her hands in both of his. "You really do mean that, don't you?"  
  
Thea nodded, "Of course."  
  
Adam searched her eyes, and his heart filled with gratitude that this unusual woman had come into his life and actually decided to stay. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the palm, his eyes dark and intense as he looked at her.  
  
She laughed, "Now there will be none of that, mister, until you recover your strength."  
  
He grinned at her, picked up the spoon, and took a huge bite of the custard. When he could speak again he said, "You just wait lady, those words will come back to haunt you."  
  
"Oh, I certainly hope so," she sighed and they laughed together for a moment.  
  
Thea began to fill him in then on where everyone was and what they were doing while he dutifully ate. Then they started discussing the fire.  
  
"Do you think Jackson was behind it?" she asked.  
  
"No," Adam shook his head, "mainly because it just isn't his style, but also because he would have no reason to make it look like an accident. Whoever did this had that aim in mind. Jackson wouldn't have knocked me out and left me there to burn. Believe this, if he had me he would kill me with his own hands, not by fire."  
  
Thea shuddered, wondering how he could speak about being murdered so dispassionately. He seemed to understand what she was feeling.  
  
"You feel right now the same way I feel when you are discussing surgery with Matt. I don't understand how you can cut someone open and go inside the way you do."  
  
She nodded, understanding his point quickly and changed the subject, "Speaking of Matt, have you noticed how he uses any excuse to come and see Cassie?"  
  
Her husband grinned and nodded his head as they laughed together again.  
  
"I just hope he gets off his duff soon and does something about it," Adam said. "Cassandra is about to become a nervous wreck."  
  
"I know, and I wish there was something I could do about that, but you know how stubborn he can be. If I try to talk to him he'll just dig in his heels." Thea sighed.  
  
"Maybe he just needs to be reminded that Cassie came here to help and won't be staying on here permanently."  
  
Thea grinned, "Ooo, there you go being devious again. I love it when you do that."  
  
Adam started laughing and had just taken her hands in his when they heard the front door open and the commotion of people coming through the door and the babble of both adult and children's voices.  
  
They both sighed and looked at each other with regret. "Meet me back here in another month?" Adam said with a wry smile.  
  
Thea nodded, "And I'll keep every spot on my dance card open just for you."  
  
He reached out to cup her cheek in his palm and stroked her lips with his thumb. Their gazes locked and Thea was again surprised that he could make her weak in the knees with just one touch. Then footsteps came toward the kitchen and they both sat back in their chairs to wait for the thundering horde to reach them.  
  
Nate was the first one through the door and he said, "You're up!" to Adam and threw himself into the chair to his bosses left. His expression became puzzled when Adam and Thea exchanged a grinning, knowing look. Then Thea distracted him by asking if he wanted some coffee.  
  
"Yes ma'am, I do, but I can get it myself," he said and stood to do as he said he would.  
  
The kitchen quickly filled with friends and family, but occasionally Adam and Thea would catch each other's eye and exchange that look again.  
  
When the women had taken the children upstairs, Adam's deputies assembled around the table and looked to their boss for an explanation of what had happened the night before.  
  
"I made a stupid mistake," Adam stated flatly and suddenly had their complete attention. "First, I should have come home to get back-up. Second, I made the mistake even worse by falling for an old trick." He continued to explain everything. "So," he finished, "if you won't learn from your own mistakes you can at least learn from mine."  
  
His deputies exchanged a look, all of them thinking they hadn't even had a chance to harass him. As usual, he must have considered how to handle the situation and had correctly chosen the best way to head them off.  
  
Adam had been rolling his head to try and relieve some of the stiffness in his neck, but he was perfectly aware of the look they had exchanged and held back a smile at their frustration. "So Jerry, what do you think happened?"  
  
"Oh the fire was definitely set, there's no mistaking the added smell of kerosene to the burned wood. And it was a case of overkill, if you'll pardon the expression. Whoever did this has some knowledge, but went way overboard. The first floor was doused as were the building materials stacked around. Then to top it off they used incendiary devices on the bottom floor. I just can't understand that one. The kerosene should have been plenty."  
  
"Well," Adam said with narrowed eyes, "I'm glad they did, because that's what woke me up. Otherwise you'd be burying a bucket full of ashes today." He continued to look down, but he smiled his dangerous smile and his eyes became even narrower.  
  
Nate broke into his thoughts, "So what about Jackson? Do you think he did this?"  
  
Adam shook his head.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Without looking up Adam said, "You tell me." Not just to Nate, but also to the rest of his deputies.  
  
The four men fell silent to think this challenge over. Mike was the first to speak.  
  
"It's not his style."  
  
His boss nodded, "Very good. This is definitely not Jackson's style at all."  
  
The other three deputies nodded. "So who was it?" John said and almost blushed at the approving look his boss gave him.  
  
"Ah, the next logical question!" Adam said as he sat up. "But we have to consider 'why' as well as 'who'. Obviously the objective was to kill me, not to burn the office down, so we can rule out any arsonists." He paused to look around the table. "Now I know the list of people who would like to see me dead is pretty long, but just how many of those people are actually here?"  
  
"Yeah, most of them live in San Francisco," Jerry said dryly. "And I hear they meet every Thursday night."  
  
Adam grinned as he said, "Shut up, Jerry."  
  
The other man just grinned back.  
  
"I can't think of a single person other than Jackson," Nate said as he shook his head, but then his eyes opened wide as a thought occurred to him. "Hey, wait a minute. What about those two odd ducks that came from England to see you? You know, the redhead and the blonde."  
  
Adam's sharp eyes zeroed in on Nate, "So you came to the same conclusion I did."  
  
The other three deputies looked at each other blankly. "Who?" Jerry said.  
  
Nate quickly described the showdown between Adam and the lawyer.  
  
"But what could his motive be?" John offered.  
  
"Think about it some more, why would he want me out of the way?"  
  
John's brow furrowed, but then cleared quickly, "So he could get at Alexander?"  
  
"Very good!" Adam laughed and the other deputies showed that they were also impressed.  
  
"I've been suspicious of that man even before I actually met him. Consider all of these points: That it took seven years to find Thea after the documents confirmed she is Sir Richard's legitimate daughter; that the agent my solicitor's sent to take a look at the estate disappeared; and that the previous Lord died in mysterious circumstances. Something is just not right about this and we need to find out where they've been holing up."  
  
"Obviously they aren't in town anywhere," Nate mused. "But I can't see them roughing it out in the wild, either."  
  
"So what choice does that leave?" Adam prompted him.  
  
"Carson City," Nate smiled.  
  
"And that is where I want the four of you to go today. Talk to as many people as you can. Someone must have seen them, they stand out like a sore thumb," Adam finished.  
  
The four men looked at each other and pushed back their chairs as they stood.  
  
"Report in here when you get back, and for God's sake, be careful. These men are desperate and don't want to return to England and face the music there without having control of Alexander."  
  
"What I don't understand is how he thinks he'll be able to do that, not with Thea still being alive."  
  
Adam leaned back in his chair again, highly amused. "I have an idea about that. He struck me as a man who probably considers himself irresistible to women."  
  
Nate started laughing, "You mean he thinks he'll be able to sweep Thea off her feet and marry the poor, grieving widow?"  
  
His boss nodded, still highly amused. "That's what I'm assuming."  
  
"God," Nate gasped, "she'd stick one of her knives in his black heart before she'd even let him within a mile of her!" He turned to the other deputies. "You'll understand once you get to see him."  
  
"You could almost feel sorry for the poor bastard," Adam chuckled.  
  
The deputies began to file out of the kitchen then, but Nate hung back for a moment and looked down at his best friend. "And what if they aren't there? They might actually be smart enough to realize you would figure it out."  
  
Adam's face hardened and his eyes flared briefly with anger, "Then tomorrow, we all go hunting."  
  
Nate nodded, his own expression angry as he squeezed his boss's good shoulder briefly then left to take charge of the other deputies.  
  
Still sitting at the table, Adam took advantage of this rare moment alone and looked inward to let his agile mind work through and around this problem.  
  
When he came back to himself, he went to stand, but groaned at the painful stiffness of his whole body, and the many stitches pulling at his skin. He paused for a moment then stretched as best he could before going upstairs to do something he seldom got the opportunity to do - spend the day with his wife and children.  
  
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When the deputies returned Adam and Thea were waiting for them in the kitchen. The children were exhausted from playing with their father all day, so they had been put to bed early. Thea had naturally assumed the four men would be staying for dinner.  
  
That night, it would be just the six of them. Marie was away visiting a friend, Cassie was having dinner with Matt, no one knew where Charlie was, and Wes and Dulcy were out for the evening.  
  
The tired men had automatically stopped in the downstairs water closet to wash up, and when they assembled around the table they smiled at Thea gratefully. The food they normally ate left something to be desired and living above the Sage Brush was not the homiest of places to be.  
  
Adam let them enjoy the food and relax, but when dinner was over he started to stand to help Thea, but she motioned for him to sit back down saying, "You need to rest and get your strength back." He was surprised that he almost turned red when she gave him a cheeky grin. But he regained control of himself and looked at his deputies expectantly.  
  
"Well," Nate said picking up his coffee cup, "you were right, of course. They were there, but not anymore." He shook his head. "And no one has any idea where they went, but they did buy supplies for camping out, so they must still be around somewhere."  
  
His boss nodded. "Just what I figured they would do," he paused for a moment. "Well, we know a few things about them. They are desperate, not completely stupid, and have committed themselves to this. Which also means it is doubtful they will cut and run; they intend to continue until they either succeed in killing me or are caught." He smiled, "And I'm sure you can understand that I would definitely prefer the latter option."  
  
The four deputies laughed, but quickly sobered at the thought of someone actually succeeding in killing Adam. They turned their gazes back to their boss when he cleared his throat.  
  
"Looks like we will all be going hunting in the morning, so I think it's best if we all turn in early." They rose and Adam walked them to front door.  
  
"Daybreak, boys. We need to get an early start to catch up with them and I have no doubt that we can. They have lived in London most of their lives and I'm sure they won't be traveling too far from here. So give some thought about where you think they might go to wait until they have another opportunity to try again."  
  
The deputies nodded and said "Good night" as they filed out the front door. Adam stayed in the doorway watching as they crossed the street and went up the outside stairs to the rooms over the Sage Brush. When the last man had gone in, Adam shut the door and returned to the kitchen.  
  
"You're going to wait up for Wes aren't you?" Thea asked her husband and he nodded as he sat down at the head of the table again. She finished putting the last of the dishes away and came over to sit in the chair to his right. He took both her hands in his and stroked her palms with his thumbs while giving her that special smile he reserved for her alone.  
  
"Now," he said with a wicked gleam in his eye, "where were we this morning before we were so rudely interrupted?"  
  
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Adam was awake at his usual early hour the next morning and was standing on the front porch with Balor beside him, waiting for his deputies to show up. Just as the first rays of the sun threw shadows down the street, the door at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor of the Sage Brush opened and all four men came trotting down the steps, saddlebags and weapons ready.  
  
He smiled as he watched them cross the street. Nate, as usual, was leading the way with Mike and John walking side-by-side right behind him. Jerry brought up the rear and was yawning hugely. Adam briefly wondered if the older man had been up late reading again and smiled at that thought as he went down the steps with Balor close by his side and started around the house to the huge barn in back.  
  
Adam had insisted that the deputies keep their horses there so they wouldn't have to pay livery fees. So the four men returned the favor by doing their share of taking care of the rest of the stock. All four also vied to get the chance to groom Adam and Thea's horses. Both were Morabs, half Arabian, half Morgan and Adam's was jet black so he had been appropriately named Onyx. And Onyx had one other unique feature they had never seen before - one eye so dark a brown it looked almost black, and the other one blue.  
  
The men filed into the barn and no one spoke until they had led the horses out and Adam went to slide the door shut. When he turned around all four deputies and the dog were looking at him expectantly, waiting for their orders.  
  
"We'll be heading south and when we get halfway to Carson City we'll be splitting up and sweeping as much of the flatlands to the east as we can. We'll divide that area up in three. John, Dylan, you take the third to the east. Mike, Jerry, you take the middle third and Balor and I will cover the rest. Stop at every farm or ranch you come across," he paused for a moment to let what he had said sink in. "Any questions?"  
  
His deputies shook their heads and the dog continued to stare at him intently, so he said, "Let's go." The five men swung up into the saddle and Adam looked down at Balor. "Heel," he ordered and spurred his horse forward.  
  
Thea was watching them from a second floor window as they took off across open country instead of taking the road. She didn't move away until they passed over the horizon and were beyond her sight.  
  
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Around three o'clock that afternoon Adam paused at a small stream to water his horse and give both animals a rest. Balor lay down after drinking deeply and Adam tossed him a large piece of jerky. The dog caught it in mid-air then lay down to tear it apart before eating it. His master laughed then turned his thoughts to finding the two men.  
  
All day the three of them had ridden back and forth across the open country without finding a single sign of them. He let his mind wander over the land that he knew so well, while trying to think like the two men they were pursuing. Where would he go if he were in their position?  
  
He wasn't having much success in trying to think like them when the wind shifted and Balor sat up with a growl. Adam instantly came back to himself. "What is it, boy?" he asked and the dog stood, his tail up and his nose sniffing the breeze. Standing, Adam swung up into the saddle. "Balor, lead," he said and the dog started moving in a stiff-legged trot into the wind.  
  
They kept going for a while and soon came to an old shack surrounded by brush. The dog stopped and whined, then shook himself before sitting and looking up at his master with a canine frown.  
  
"Whatever is in there must be pretty nasty if just the smell has you this upset," Adam said as he dismounted and stood there listening for sounds of any activity. But the only thing he heard was the rustling of the brush and the creek of the open front door as it swung slightly in the wind.  
  
Adam drew his weapon, told Balor to stay, and cautiously moved toward the shack. When he stepped up on the small front porch he tested each board before putting his weight on it and slowly moved toward the doorway. He peered inside and stayed in that spot to let his eyes adjust to the shadow.  
  
He couldn't see anything in the small room except some old broken furniture. He stepped into the room, but was startled by movement overhead so he flattened himself against the wall next to the door as he raised his gun and looked up. When he realized what he had seen he sighed with relief then frowned as he stepped closer to the body hanging from a rope tied to the sturdy center beam.  
  
There wasn't enough light to see the corpse's face so he decided to cut it down. He pushed the chair that was tipped over beneath the body away and took a folding knife out of his pocket. Holding the knife in between his teeth, he jumped up and grabbed the beam overhead. He moved a little closer then hung from one hand while he quickly cut through the rope. The body dropped to the floor with a thud and he let go to land next to it.  
  
The corpse was lying face down so he nudged it over with his foot then crouched down to get a good look. There was enough of the man's face left for Adam to recognize him.  
  
"So we meet again Mr. Jackson," he said softly and stood to go out and retrieve his rifle. Checking his pocket watch he saw that it was four o'clock and his deputies would have no doubt already met at the previously agreed on spot. That spot wasn't far from the shack so he timed three rifle shots two beats apart and sat down on the edge of the porch to wait.  
  
Balor came up to him with his tail down, not liking the smell of human death. Adam took the animal's huge head in his hands to scratch him behind the ears and smooth his shaggy fur back from his eyes. "How do you ever see anything?" he said softly to the dog, who just whined and moved closer until he was almost in his master's lap.  
  
"If people only knew what a big baby you can be," Adam laughed. "But don't worry, your secret is safe with me," he said as he continued to pet the dog.  
  
Soon, his deputies came racing toward them but then slowed down when they saw Adam apparently unharmed. Nate was the first to reach the shack and he dismounted as the horse was still moving. He started toward his boss, but stopped when he saw the body lying in the doorway. Adam stood and the two men went to stand on either side of the corpse.  
  
'Well, at least we know Jackson won't be causing you any more trouble," Nate said with a grimace of distaste.  
  
"No, he won't, and apparently did another cowardly thing and took his own life," Adam answered. "He must have realized that without his money he was nothing. I'm sure his men must have abandoned him."  
  
The other three deputies pulled up and came to take a look, too.  
  
"Suicide?" John asked.  
  
"I'm assuming so," Adam said. "He was hanging from the center beam with a chair tipped over beneath him."  
  
The five men just stared down at the corpse for a bit until Adam took a deep breath and sighed. "Looks like we'll have to take a detour and drop it off in Carson City before heading home. I don't want to be traveling with a dead body through the night, you never know what kind of animal will be attracted by the scent." He went to his horse and untied a tarp that was rolled up behind his saddle.  
  
"John, you and Mike can double up," Adam said and they rolled the body up and securely tied it to the saddle on John's horse.  
  
The four deputies mounted up as Adam looked down at Balor. The dog's tongue was lolling and he looked completely exhausted so he bent over next to his horse and braced his hands on his knees as he whistled three notes. The dog came running, jumped up onto his master's back and then from there, into the saddle.  
  
Balor sat up straight and Adam swung up behind him. The deputies grinned at each other, never having seen this before. John laughed. "Doesn't he ever fall off?"  
  
Adam shook his head, "No," he answered and turned his horse toward Carson City, leading the way at a gallop as his four friends and one dead enemy fell in behind.  
  
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The five men didn't reach home until close to eight o'clock that night and they were all thankful to see the kitchen was still brightly lit. Adam smiled; no doubt Thea was waiting for them.  
  
They quickly took care of their horses and tiredly went up the path and through the back door. Thea turned to them with a smile and came up to Adam to put her arms around him as the deputies headed for the downstairs water closet as usual. Balor made a beeline to his dish and wolfed down the food she had set out for him then came over to nudge her leg with his nose. She let go of her husband and crouched down to put her arms around the huge dog's neck to give him a hard hug. The dog huffed in her face, gave her cheek a quick lick and turned to go up the stairs to take up his post again.  
  
Adam laughed as she stood and used her apron to wipe dog spit off her cheek. Thea laughed too and said, "Go get washed up then you can tell me all about it after you've eaten."  
  
He grinned, "Yes ma'am," he said, kissed her other cheek and followed Balor up the back stairs. He wanted to at least see his children for a moment after having been gone all day.  
  
After stopping in the room he shared with Thea to take of his coat he stepped into the water closet attached to their bedroom to wash the dust off. He left the bedroom and stopped in Alexander's room first. As usual, the boy lay there sound asleep with his arms and legs spread out and the covers kicked back.  
  
Adam laughed softly and came in to pull the covers over him and tucked them in. He smoothed his son's unruly dark hair back from his forehead then left the room silently to go to Annalise next.  
  
The little girl lay curled up in a ball with the covers over her head. Adam gently pulled them back, wondering how she managed to breath that way. But his daughter had slept that way for as long as he could remember and it didn't seem to harm her. She stirred and opened her eyes slightly and smiled. "Pa," she said in a sleepy, small voice and stretched her arms out to him. He gathered her up and gave her a quick hug before kissing her on the top of her head and laying her back down.  
  
"Go back to sleep, honey," he said and she giggled as he pulled the covers back over her head. "Night Pa," he heard her muffled voice say and he shook his head as he left the room and quietly shut the door behind him.  
  
When he entered the nursery he took a quick look at Matthew and Thomas. As he expected, both babies were sound asleep. Benjamin, however, was wide- awake lying on his back and staring up at the shadows cast by the moonlight on the ceiling.  
  
"Waiting up for me again are you?" Adam said softly and picked him up with his blanket. He sat down in one of the rocking chairs and looked down into his son's bright black eyes. The baby looked back making that cawing sound that was uniquely his own. He smiled and wrapped the child in his blanket then settled him on his shoulder as he began to rock.  
  
Benjamin gurgled a little, popped his thumb in his mouth, and snuggled his head into his father's neck. Adam knew when the baby was asleep, but continued to rock, reluctant to leave and end this rare moment of quiet. As he rocked, his thoughts naturally turned to his own childhood, what there had been of it. Their circumstances had caused him to grow up quickly and early so he could be of a real help to his father by taking care of Hoss. He had seen very little of Ben during that time and he had vowed when the twins were born that he would be a constant presence in their lives. But business concerns had slowly taken over his life and when he realized this he had made the decision to concentrate on only one job. And he still felt he had made the right decision. There would be no getting bored with what he had chosen to do with his life and he would never become restless. He felt he was doing something very important that would make a difference in his part of the world.  
  
Adam sighed and reluctantly stood to lay Benjamin back in his crib and spread the blanket out over him. The baby immediately turned over and pulled his folded legs up underneath him. His father smiled and patted the small bottom that now stuck up in the air before quietly leaving the room.  
  
He quickly went down the back stairs and when he came through the doorway to the kitchen he saw his deputies were finished eating. Thea turned to him, "Benjamin still awake?" she asked with a grin.  
  
"Of course," her husband answered her as he sat down at the head of the table and she brought a filled plate for him. Nate was giving him a puzzled look so he explained.  
  
"Benjamin will not go to sleep unless he sees me first. He's been doing that recently and we don't know why he started." Thea came to fill his coffee cup and he smiled at his wife and said, "Thank you." She ran her hand across the back of his neck then went around the table re-filling cups. Then after filling one for herself she sat down at the foot of the table and looked at her husband.  
  
"The boys told me what happened today. So you're sure Jackson hanged himself?" Adam merely nodded as he ate.  
  
"Doesn't really surprise me any," she said with true venom in her voice. "That man has been a coward and a bully all his life and after what he did to Livvy he got what he deserved. I hope he's burning in hell right now."  
  
The deputies looked at each other, a little startled by the hatred they not only heard, but could also see on her face. Adam glanced around at them and smiled to himself. So they were finally starting to understand just how hard and unbending Thea could be.  
  
"Well," Adam finally spoke as he pushed his empty plate away, "today wasn't a total waste, at least we found Jackson. But we all need to do some more thinking about where that lawyer and his cohort are hiding. My problem is that I can't seem to get a handle on the way they think; it's completely foreign to me."  
  
"Thank God for that!" Thea said, "You need someone who's a little odd, just like they are to do the thinking."  
  
Immediately everyone turned to look at Jerry and the older man said, "Hey!" in protest as the rest of them laughed at his dismay.  
  
Adam leaned back in his chair, grinning. "There's your assignment Jerry, we need you to think as oddly as you can. And I'm sure that can be pretty damn odd."  
  
"Oh sure, now you WANT me to think that way after how many years of telling me to shut up?" the older man laughed, then laughed even harder when everyone gathered around the table said, "Shut up, Jerry."  
  
Nate stood, a signal to the other deputies that they should be taking their leave. The other three stood and each one said good night to Adam and thank you to Thea.  
  
Adam walked them to the front door and said, "Be at the office at the usual time tomorrow morning, we still have a lot to go over and other wanted people out there."  
  
His men nodded as they filed out the door and he stayed, as was his habit to watch them cross the street and go up the outside stairs to their rooms. He smiled when he saw Mike and John with their heads together as usual then laughed when Mike smacked the smaller man in the back of the head. No doubt John had said something he considered to be stupid again.  
  
Shaking his head, he watched as the last man - Jerry - reached the door at the head of the stairs. The older man paused with the door open and looked back at his boss, threw him a snappy salute and disappeared. Adam was still shaking his head as he stepped back and closed the front door. 


	8. L & F PT 3 CH 25 FAREWELL

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
FAREWELL  
  
Chapter 25  
  
The sun was just about to come up the next morning and the temperature had dipped sharply overnight, so Jerry was in a hurry to get into the office and build a fire in the stove. He was standing at the front door, stamping his feet and watching Adam come down the board sidewalk. When he was within hailing distance Jerry called to him, "Hey, throw me the keys!" Adam laughed and did. Everyone in the group teased big, rough and tough Jerry about being too delicate for the cold.  
  
His hands were so stiff he was having trouble getting the right key in the lock so Adam was almost behind him when he got the door open. Jerry opened his mouth to complain about the early hour when he took one step through the door, felt the floorboard sag under his foot, and heard the click.  
  
Without hesitation, he stepped back, slammed the door shut, and threw himself on Adam, knocking him backward and down, into the road and covered him when they hit the ground. The explosion blew the small building to pieces and shattered windows up and down the street. The fast-moving, heavy debris pummeled Jerry's prone body.  
  
Thea was up early herself and heard the horrendous noise. Knowing without reason that Adam was somehow involved, she ran to the front door, slammed it open, flew across the porch and started running as fast as she could toward the temporary office.  
  
She stumbled a few times on the partially frozen ruts in the street, but didn't stop moving. When she saw what was left of the building her heart clenched painfully in her chest and she screamed Adam's name, but didn't stop.  
  
People were pouring out of the buildings, some dressed, some still in their nightclothes. Those men that were dressed were already moving cautiously toward the wreckage and starting to move pieces aside; trying to find the source of the groans they could all hear.  
  
Roy had just arrived and caught Thea around the waist as she tried to speed past him. She struggled in his arms, calling her husband's name desperately.  
  
When the men lifted a body she could see it was Jerry, but then they lifted Adam and she stopped struggling and stared intently. He was breathing.  
  
With the calm voice of authority she said, "Roy, you can let go of me now. Bring them both to the house." And when he let her go, she turned and ran back.  
  
Bounding up the front steps she skidded to a stop in the front hall, opened the downstairs bedroom door and went in to light the lamps. Then she hurried into the office and grabbed her bag and a full apron. When she turned around Cassandra and Marie were there.  
  
"There's been an explosion, Adam and Jerry have been hurt. Marie, please go to the kitchen and boil water. Cassandra, please get dressed and go find Nate, Mike, John and Matt." She paused for a moment to catch her breath. "Please hurry!"  
  
Marie limped as fast as she could down the hall, while Cassandra dashed up the stairs.  
  
Thea was in the bedroom setting things up when the younger woman came thundering back down the stairs and out the door, her long loose hair flying out behind her.  
  
When she heard footsteps on the porch she rushed into the hall and couldn't believe her eyes. Adam was walking stiffly through the door in front of the men carrying Jerry! She went weak in the knees, stumbled into him, and began to run her hands over him.  
  
"Are you hurt?"  
  
"No," he said, "but Jerry is and it looks bad, Thea."  
  
She looked into his eyes for a moment and what she saw there made her certain then that he WAS all right.  
  
The men came through the door carrying Jerry and she turned her attention to him.  
  
"Bring him in here please," she said and went back into the bedroom. Adam and the men carrying Jerry followed.  
  
Jerry was placed gently face down on the bed she had just stripped of all but the bottom sheet then the men shuffled out. Adam started removing Jerry's clothes without being asked and Thea helped.  
  
Hearing a gasp from the doorway they both turned and saw Mike and John standing there. "I'll be out in a minute to explain, please wait in the hall." Adam said and the two reluctantly turned away.  
  
When they finished and could see the injuries Adam's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed in fury. He rubbed a hand across his forehead and turned to Thea when he had his anger contained. "Do you need me right now?" he asked his wife.  
  
"Not for a little while yet, I have to assess his wounds first," she said distractedly as she moved toward the tray of instruments she had set up.  
  
"Just call when you need me," he said and went out into the front hall, shutting the door behind him.  
  
He was glad to see Nate was with Mike and John now and the three turned to look at him expectantly.  
  
"It looks bad, very bad. Thea is assessing his condition right now."  
  
Nate cleared his throat, "What happened?"  
  
"Someone blew the office up," he said, his voice rough. "Every morning, I'm always the first one in, except for this morning. He was in a hurry to get inside and asked for the keys, so I threw them to him. He must have felt or heard something that warned him because he slammed the door shut, knocked me into the street and fell on top of me."  
  
Turning away, Adam put a hand over his eyes. "He did it on purpose," he said in a choked voice, "he threw himself on top of me on purpose. He could have gone to either side and possibly survived, but he chose to save me instead."  
  
The three looked at each other, at a loss as to what to say. Nate came forward and put a hand on Adam's shoulder and he opened his mouth to speak when Roy came through the front door. Nate moved away and Adam turned to face his old friend.  
  
"How's he doing?" the Sheriff asked.  
  
"We don't know yet."  
  
Roy shook his head, "What kind of people would do something like that?"  
  
"We have a pretty good idea who," Adam said through clenched teeth.  
  
"You do?" Roy asked, "two men, one a short and very stocky blond, the other tall and thin with red hair?"  
  
The younger man just nodded.  
  
"A few people came forward to say they saw them hanging around that building last night and they were spotted again heading out of town going east about an hour ago."  
  
"So they were responsible for the fire," John said. Nate and Mike nodded in agreement.  
  
Coming forward to shake Roy's hand, Adam said, "Thank you, Roy. We'll worry about them later, right now Jerry is more important."  
  
"You need any help, you let me know, you hear?"  
  
Adam nodded and managed a small smile. "Thank you."  
  
Roy paused for a moment to give Adam's shoulder a hard squeeze, and then left, closing the front door firmly behind him.  
  
Marie came into sight then, carrying a bucket of steaming water. Adam hurried down the hall and took the heavy load from her. "How is he?" she whispered.  
  
"We don't know, Thea hasn't come out yet."  
  
The petite black woman nodded. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," she said and patted him on the back as he thanked her.  
  
He carried the pail up to the door and went in, but came right back out again and shook his head at the expectant looks on his friend's faces. They were still there waiting almost another hour later.  
  
When Thea came silently and slowly through the downstairs bedroom door with her head down everyone understood that there would be no miracle this time.  
  
Adam went to her immediately and put his arms around his wife, holding her tightly. "Is he gone?" She shook her head against his chest.  
  
The three deputies came to them. Mike and John each took one of her hands while Nate put his arms around both of them. The five of them stayed that way for a few moments, until Ben and Hoss burst through the front door. Everyone turned to look at them and the two men were obviously relieved when they saw Adam and Thea were fine.  
  
The three friends moved away and Adam's father came to put a hand on his shoulder. He looked down into Thea's tear-filled eyes and asked, "Jerry?"  
  
She nodded. "I can't do anything more for him, the internal damage was too extensive. But I've stopped most of the bleeding and made him as comfortable as possible. He's asking for you Adam." Her husband nodded and started for the bedroom door.  
  
Thea watched him go then turned back to Ben. "Pa, would you and Hoss go upstairs and bring the twins down? Jerry wants to see them." She paused to wipe the tears off her face, "Mike, John, Nate, would you bring the babies down too?" The five men nodded and headed for the stairs. After wiping her face dry Thea took off her blood stained apron and sat down on the nearest chair, covering her face with her hands. She wanted to give Adam some time alone with the dying man.  
  
Adam entered the room then went to Jerry's beside, sitting down on the chair there and taking the other man's hand in both of his own. Jerry turned his head and met Adam's dark, pain-filled eyes.  
  
"I gotta say this quick before Thea and the rest come back in. I know what's goin' on in that mind of yers and yah've got to promise me yah won't do it. Swear to me with God as yer witness yah won't or the only truly good thing I ever done in my life won't mean anythin'. " He pulled on Adam's hands and lifted his head up, sweat running down his face.  
  
"Promise me damn it!"  
  
Adam looked away for a moment; his jaw tightly clenched and closed his eyes. When he turned back to Jerry he looked calm again. "I promise. With God as my witness, Jerry, I swear to you I won't."  
  
The dying man sighed and let his head fall back on the pillows that were propping him up.  
  
"Why did you do it, Jerry?" Adam said quietly.  
  
"Come on, Adam, which one of us has more to live for? But I didn't do it just for yerself."  
  
Adam nodded, "You did it for Thea and the children, too."  
  
"Yeah, but I still owe yah."  
  
"No, you don't..."  
  
"Yah don't understand, Adam, I've been lying to yah all these years."  
  
"Jerry, stop...I knew...I just didn't care."  
  
The dying man lifted his head again and stared at him, startled.  
  
"Yah know?"  
  
"Yes, I've known for a long time now."  
  
"Why didn't yah turn me in.?"  
  
"Turn in a good man, one of the best detectives I've ever known just because you fought on the Confederate side? Why the hell should I do that?"  
  
"Because it's the law."  
  
"Bull, I've never believed in punishing a man for following his conscience. You did what you thought was right, what you had to do, James."  
  
Jerry jerked again in surprise, "Yah even know my real name. Does anything ever get past yah?'  
  
"Not much, and I guess you never recognized Nate - he wasn't much more than a boy at the time, but he was an operative for the Union Army. He remembered a little about you and I found out the rest. You are James Caldwell, not Jerry Culpepper and you're from Red River, Texas. You served in the 27th Texas Cavalry."  
  
The dying man shook his head in wonder, "Please don't tell Thea."  
  
"She already knows, but I didn't tell her, she's a smart girl and figured it out for herself. You haven't always been able to cover up that accent."  
  
"How long has she known?"  
  
"Almost from the first time she met you," Adam said and the bedroom door opened. When he turned to see Thea come in, he stood and went to the other side of the bed and took Jerry's left hand. Thea took Jerry's right hand in one of hers and leaned over him to wipe the sweat off his forehead, then kissed it. He smiled at her gratefully and tightened his grip as she sat in the chair. Adam looked away and then turned back when he had his expression under control again.  
  
"Adam tells me yah know everything about me. Is that true?"  
  
Thea nodded, looking him in the eye.  
  
"Yah never said a word."  
  
"It didn't matter, Jerry. It never mattered."  
  
He smiled. "All of yah are the only family I've ever really had. My Mum died right after having me and there was no one else. I been on my own most of my life and never wanted to get involved, but yah changed all that Theadora." He tried to laugh, but couldn't, "Yah kept pulling me into this family and I kept pulling back. But I'm so glad yah never gave up on me."  
  
"Whenever you love someone they become your family, and you are a member of this family, Jerry," Thea choked out, her eyes filling with tears as she leaned over him to wipe his forehead again. "You knew I wouldn't give up on you. You knew."  
  
Jerry nodded and turned to Adam, "Would yah please bury me under my real name, boss?"  
  
"Whatever you want," Adam answered and almost lost control as he put his head down and angrily dashed the few tears that had escaped away.  
  
His head came up when they heard a knock on the door and he wiped his face dry before going to the door to let Ben in carrying Annalise and Hoss carrying Alexander. Both of the children were sleepy-eyed, but smiling. They didn't understand this earlier than usual wake-up time, but were enjoying the attention it brought.  
  
Thea moved away from the bed as the two men came up and put the children down, one on each side. Jerry reached out and cupped Annalise's face with gentle hands. "I haven't seen yah for a few days lovey and I wanted to before I go away this mornin'."  
  
The little girl's face became solemn and she leaned forward, her head on his chest and hugged him. "Where you goin' Jerry?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet, honey."  
  
"Are you comin' back?" Alexander asked, the beginning of understanding in his intelligent eyes.  
  
"I don't think I'll be able to, so I'm askin' yah both to remember me."  
  
Alexander lifted Jerry's large, rough hand and held it in both his small ones. "I promise, Jerry, I'll never forget. And I'll tell my little brothers about you too."  
  
Jerry looked at Alexander and he seemed like a much older child right then. "Thank yah, Alexander. I think it's time yah two got back to bed for a little while. The sun's just barely up now."  
  
The little girl sat up again and Ben came to pick her up. "Wait, Grandpa," she said and scooted forward to kiss Jerry on the cheek. "Don't you forget me neither, ok Jerry?"  
  
"I don't think anyone could ever forget yah, darlin," he answered and she stood up on the bed to put her arms around Ben's neck as he picked her up and walked over to the door. Adam was still there and opened it for his father after gently stroking his daughter's cheek and kissing her on the forehead. He said, "Thank you," low to his father as they went through.  
  
Alexander still had his eyes fastened on Jerry's face and did something he seldom did. He kissed the man on the cheek too then turned to his uncle with sorrow in his eyes as Hoss picked him up.  
  
"Pa says a man always keeps his promises, Jerry. I promised and I won't forget," the boy called to him as Hoss carried him over to the door Adam was still holding open. Hoss looked at his older brother and put a strong hand on the back of his neck, giving him a squeeze and a small shake. Adam leaned forward and gave his son a kiss on the forehead then nodded his thanks to Hoss who left then.  
  
Adam stepped out and motioned for the three detectives to come in with the babies. Thomas and Benjamin were still asleep, but Matthew was wide-awake. Jerry turned to Thea and she could see that he was fading, the whites of his eyes turning yellow.  
  
"Can I hold them just for a minute?" he asked her.  
  
She nodded and John came forward with Thomas and placed him on the dying man's chest. Jerry curled his arms around the infant and looked into his sweet face for a moment. Then he looked up and nodded for John to take the child.  
  
He did the same with Benjamin then Nate gave him Matthew. The baby looked into the man's white face and bestowed one of his charming smiles on Jerry. Touching the baby's cheek with one finger, he said "Yer gonna be the leader of this trio, aren't yah? I can tell, yer just as much like your Pa as yah are yer Ma." The child gurgled at him, grabbed the man's finger, pulled it into his little mouth and tried to bite it.  
  
Jerry actually managed a whisper of a laugh at that and looked at Nate with a nod to take the baby away. He let his arms fall to his sides then, his strength almost gone. Thea came to sit next to him again and Adam went back to the other side of the bed. Taking his hands again, they both looked up when the three detectives came back into the room.  
  
The dying man looked at each of his three friends and said, "Yah idiots better keep watching his back, yah hear me? Cause I'll be watching yah and if yah don't, I'll find some way to come back and kick yer ass."  
  
The three nodded with solemn faces, believing that if anyone could, it would be Jerry.  
  
John and Mike were standing by Adam and Nate was next to Thea. She tugged on Jerry's hand to get his attention.  
  
"Jerry remember, you're a part of this family, so if you see the three Graces don't be afraid."  
  
The light was fading from his eyes, but Jerry still managed to look at her and understand. "Would yah call me by my real name just once?" he whispered.  
  
She stood and bent over to put her mouth next to his ear. "We love you, James Caldwell, and you will always be in our hearts."  
  
He turned his head away from her then and looked toward a corner of the room. "Dear God," he whispered, " Yer right Thea, they are beautiful," he smiled...and was gone.  
  
Adam knelt next to the bed and put his head down on top of Jerry's hand and didn't even try to stop his tears this time. No one did as they all followed his example, going to their knees around the bed, and the only sound in the room then was the muffled sobs of five heart-broken friends.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Joe was still asleep. He had been sleeping heavily since his surgery and the physical work Adam had been coaching him through. But the voice in his room was urgent, insistent, and finally managed to pull him up from the depths.  
  
He opened his eyes slowly and listened. There it was again, a man's voice that sounded vaguely familiar, wafting through the room as though on a breeze. He couldn't understand what the voice was saying, but the intensity of it made the hair on the back of his neck and arms stand up. It kept speaking and started to strengthen. He listened to it as hard as he could and was suddenly filled with the urge to get up and dressed. He threw the covers back, grabbed his clothes, and began to pull them on as fast as he could. After he pulled on his boots he stayed sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting.  
  
When the idea of going to the barn filled his mind he hurried to obey by rushing out into the hall, but had to go back for his coat, gun belt, and hat. He knew he had to hurry.  
  
Running down the back stairs as quietly as he could, he eased out the back door and ran to the barn. The big door was open enough for him to slip through and he entered the warm, humid, dimness. He stood there with his head cocked to the side and listened again.  
  
Without even thinking about what he was doing he hurried to saddle his horse in record time then led him to the darkest stall, staying in the shadows there and out of sight. Leaning back against the stall wall, he tried to relax and waited.  
  
Soon, two men slipped through the door opening and Joe recognized Mike and John. When they had four horses ready they stopped and stood there waiting, their faces still displaying the shock of Jerry's death.  
  
John turned to his friend, "Do you think you could do something like that?"  
  
"You mean throw myself on top of Adam to save his life like Jerry did?" Mike asked. John nodded.  
  
The taller man folded his arms and looked down to think as he rocked on his feet for a few moments. Nodding his head firmly he said, "Yep, would you?"  
  
John didn't respond at first.  
  
"Well?" Mike insisted. Still no answer.  
  
"Come on, John. We owe everything to Adam. Do you realize what our lives would be like if he hadn't been keeping our secrets all these years?"  
  
John's mouth dropped open and his head snapped around. He stared at Mike with huge eyes.  
  
His friend smiled, "I know your secret, just like I know Jerry's and Nate's as well as my own. I made up my mind a long time ago that if any one of our pathetic little deceptions threatened Adam in any way, I would make sure the truth came out, even my own. We owe him and you know it."  
  
John looked away again, but nodded.  
  
"Think about it. The fact that none of us have any family, are loners, and are hiding our pasts is what brought us together while we were working for Pinkerton. Then Adam came along and took us under his wing and turned us into a team. Would you have finished your law degree if he hadn't been standing over you?"  
  
The smaller man smiled and turned to Mike, shaking his head.  
  
"Would any of us have continued our education at all if it hadn't been for him? And who was there every time to bail us out or give advice or wade into a fight? Or smack us in the head when we were about to do something stupid. Who else could get a stubborn mule like Jerry to learn to read at his age? Adam, that's who."  
  
Both men were smiling now and chuckling a little at the memory of Adam sweeping through their group like a hurricane and making changes for the good.  
  
Mike continued, "And look at what he did for all those employees. Who else would meet someone by arresting them then offer them a chance to go straight as soon as they did their time?"  
  
They both laughed. "And what about this - Thea made us a part of the family. What other woman do you know who would have us to her house, feed us, and even trust an ex-con like me to watch her children?"  
  
"You don't have to say anything more about Thea, I agree with you completely."  
  
Mike gave his friend a shrewd look, "She scares you, doesn't she?"  
  
John nodded reluctantly.  
  
"Well, to tell you the truth, she scares me too!"  
  
They both laughed and then were silent for a moment.  
  
"So," Mike said, "would you give your life for him, and Thea, and the children just like Jerry did?"  
  
"Yes," was John's now prompt answer.  
  
"I thought you would say so once you got that tiny brain of yours straight."  
  
"Hey, at least I'm not an ex-con," John joked.  
  
Mike laughed a little and pushed his friend on the shoulder. "I don't think that means very much coming from a lawyer. Lawyers are only one step higher than rats."  
  
John just smiled and shook his head and the two of them fell silent again, comfortable in their friendship and a shared past.  
  
Joe had crept toward the stall door to hear the conversation and now was standing there shocked at hearing that Jerry was dead until he heard his brother's voice speak, tight with fury.  
  
"We have a fresh trail to work with this time, so we shouldn't have much trouble catching those two jackals. I want the best out of you three, Jerry deserves that at least."  
  
His three deputy Marshals nodded, their faces grim.  
  
"Good, then let's go," Adam said as he went to the door and slid it open enough for the horses to fit through.  
  
As they all mounted Nate asked, "Did you tell Thea?"  
  
Adam gave him a sharp look, "Of course."  
  
Nate nodded, "Did she try to stop you?"  
  
"No, she wouldn't do that. She knows I won't tolerate any interference from her or anyone as to how I do this job."  
  
Joe stepped out of the stall, "I'm going with you."  
  
The three deputies were startled, but Adam didn't seem to be. He just stared at Joe with narrowed eyes and his head to the side for a moment then nodded. Joe mounted and kneed his horse out to join the group.  
  
They quietly filed out, Adam leading the way, and they headed east this time across open country. And again, Thea was watching out a second-floor hall window. She stayed there watching, her expression unreadable, until the five men were too far away to be seen. 


	9. L & F PT 3 CH 26 THE HUNT

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
THE HUNT  
  
Chapter 26  
  
They picked up the two men's trail quickly and Mike, an expert tracker, took the lead. An hour later he stopped and dismounted to examine the trail then he looked up at Adam.  
  
"We're getting close to them and they're getting close to those hills," he said as he nodded toward the foothills rising directly to their east.  
  
"Where do you think they'll go in?" Adam asked.  
  
"They'll probably head right for that cleft almost in the center so they can get up into those rocks to ambush us."  
  
Adam reached into his saddlebag and removed something none of them had ever seen before. He lifted what looked like two small spyglasses fastened together to his eyes and began to survey the hills. In a moment he smiled.  
  
"Right on the money, Mike, there they are behind the largest outcropping just to the right of center."  
  
"What are those?" Joe said.  
  
"They're called prism binoculars, a new invention, and you wouldn't believe how far you can see with them," his older brother said and handed them over.  
  
Joe took a quick look and the three deputies each had their turn so they would know where the two men were dug in.  
  
Once the new contraption was safely back in Adam's saddlebag he said, "We'll split up here and go around and above them on either side." He turned to his three deputies. "You three go to the left, Joe and I will go to the right and we'll meet directly above them."  
  
His eyes narrowed with cold anger as he looked from man to man. "I want them taken alive," he said in a voice that left no room for argument. Then he turned away to urge his horse northeast with Joe quickly following.  
  
The three deputies glanced at each other after Mike swung up into the saddle. All three felt they had a pretty good idea why Adam wanted them taken alive and none of them were happy with what they assumed he planned to do with them. They urged their horses southeast, each one thinking they would just have to deal with that problem when they were faced with it.  
  
Adam and Joe reached the meeting place directly over the two men first. They were close enough to see the two men clearly and they settled in to wait for the deputies. But half-an-hour went by and they still waited. Then an hour went by and no sign of them. Adam carefully raised his head over the outcropping they were hiding behind then pulled back and turned to his brother who had his head cocked to the side, as though listening for something.  
  
"They're getting restless and probably ready to move on. We're going to have to try and take them ourselves." He looked at Joe and waved a hand in front of his eyes. The younger man blinked and he focused on Adam.  
  
"I need you to be with me on this, don't let your mind wander again."  
  
Joe nodded, "Do you want to split up and go down either side?"  
  
Adam considered this for a moment then shook his head. "I think it would be best if we stayed together, it's too risky to split up again."  
  
He motioned for Joe to follow and carefully started down, angling away from the other two men so they wouldn't hear their approach. When they were directly opposite their quarry they turned and started in, staying low and slipping from one hiding place to another. Soon they were behind a large rock and when Adam took a quick look around the side he could see the lawyer standing with his back toward them, facing a sheer rock face. Trying not to laugh, he turned to Joe and whispered, "Stonehouse is answering the call of nature, but I don't see the blonde anywhere."  
  
Joe grinned as his older brother took another look. "No, I don't see the other man. You go around the other side of this boulder but stay back to cover me," Adam said and stepped out to move silently toward the man still facing the rock.  
  
The other man had finished his business and was just turning around when Adam quietly said, "Don't move Stonehouse."  
  
The lawyer jumped and spun around, his eyes going directly to the gun he had set down on a rock that was too far away to be reached. His eyes went round with terror and his face even whiter as he stared at the man he had tried to murder twice.  
  
Adam's eyes narrowed and he smiled coldly as he slowly moved to the side to place his gun next to the lawyer's. "Just want to make this fair," he said as he came back to stand opposite the other man. "Make your move," he said and stepped toward the lawyer. Then he laughed as the other man pulled a knife.  
  
"Still have to cheat, even when the odds are even, do you?" Adam said in a harsh voice and took another step toward Stonehouse. Neither of them noticed Joe quietly moving toward them.  
  
The lawyer made a desperate noise and lashed out at his pursuer, his arm swinging in an arc aiming for the other man's midsection. Adam easily avoided the blade by leaning back, and then he took a step forward while the lawyer's arm was still finishing the blow. He calmly raised his arms up, straight from the shoulder and slammed the flat of his hands over the lawyer's ears.  
  
Stonehouse screamed in agony and crumpled to the ground at Adam's feet. "Don't ever pull a knife on me again, that just pisses me off," Joe heard his older brother say.  
  
Adam picked up the knife, and then turned toward the rock where the guns were and spotted Joe. "Still no sign of anyone else?" he asked. His younger brother just shook his head as he intently watched Adam pick up his gun, slide it into the holster, and move toward the man still curled up on the ground. He continued watching carefully as Adam turned the man over and yanked his hands behind his back as he cuffed him. Then he hauled the prisoner to his feet, dragged him over to the rock face, and shoved him down and into a slight depression.  
  
When he turned and saw Joe's puzzled expression he said, "What?"  
  
"You didn't do it."  
  
"Do what? Oh, you mean kill him? No, I promised Jerry I wouldn't and you know how I feel about keeping promises," Adam said and glanced back at Stonehouse and his surprised expression. "That's right, you owe your life to the man you murdered. Jerry was the best, worth infinitely more than a piece of human garbage like you." He glanced at Joe who had his head cocked to the side again and sighed before moving to stand in front of him.  
  
Adam waved a hand in front of Joe's eyes again, but this time his younger brother didn't focus on him. "What's the matter with you?" he asked, but received no answer. As he turned away Joe's eyes rose, following the sound he was hearing to the top of the rock face and they focused sharply as he saw a small glint of sun on metal.  
  
Joe put one hand on Adam's back and shoved him down while he drew his gun and pulled the trigger, aiming for where he had seen the reflection. Both shots sounded at the same time and the body of the lawyer's henchman flopped partway over the edge. His gun fell from his dead hand and hit the ground in between the two brothers and Stonehouse.  
  
Joe shook his head and seemed to come back to himself as Adam quickly got to his feet. He grabbed his younger brother to look him over. "Are you alright? Did you get hit?" he said anxiously and was relieved when Joe shook his head.  
  
"No, I didn't get hit, but isn't that blood on your shoulder?"  
  
Adam turned his head to look at his left shoulder. The bullet had carved a deep groove in the flesh and shredded the cloth as it passed through. He frowned in annoyance, "Damn, Thea's going to be furious."  
  
"Because you got shot?" Joe asked.  
  
"No, because she just made this shirt for me. Of course because I got shot."  
  
The younger man started laughing at how absurd this sounded but stopped startled when Adam drew his weapon and turned toward the prisoner. The man had been inching out, heading for the gun lying on the ground.  
  
"Now, where do you think you're going and what did you think you were going to shoot that with, your feet?" Adam strode forward and picked the gun up. He gestured with the barrel of his own, "Get back in there and turn around, I don't even want to see your face again." Stonehouse quickly obeyed.  
  
When he came back he stopped and looked up at the top of the outcropping with a calculating look. "Joe, where were you standing when you made that shot?"  
  
"Right here," Joe said as he moved to the spot again. Adam came over to stand in front of him.  
  
"And I was standing right here," he said then leaned forward. "I was in this position when the bullet hit." He put his index finger just below the furrow on his shoulder and slid it down his chest as he slowly straightened up. When he was standing straight his finger was directly over his heart. His younger brother stepped around in front to see.  
  
"Looks like I would have taken one right through the heart if not for you Joe."  
  
The two brothers stared at each other then turned away as they heard someone approaching. Adam called out, "Stop and identify yourselves." A chorus of three familiar voices yelling "me" made him chuckle and Joe joined in. They laughed even harder, releasing the tension of the day when three dirt-covered, badly messed up men limped into the small clear space.  
  
"What happened," Adam finally managed to say and Nate rolled his eyes as he answered. "We fell in a hole."  
  
His boss closed his eyes and shook his head. "Didn't you space yourselves out?"  
  
"Yes," Nate said then rushed on to explain. "It was a big hole!"  
  
Adam scrubbed his hands over his face. "Oh God, I can't stand it," he said then continued. "And you didn't see this hole that was big enough for all three of you to fall in?"  
  
"Well," John said reluctantly, "only those two fell in at first. I fell in trying to help them out."  
  
Mike spoke up, "But we didn't see the hole because it was covered by deadfall."  
  
Nate opened his mouth again, but Adam put up a hand to stop him. "Please, no more explanations, I'm already getting a headache," as his men looked down and shifted their feet uncomfortably.  
  
Adam stood. "Joe, lets go find the horses, including theirs," he indicated the dead man and the prisoner. "I want to get going so we can make it home early enough for me to start making arrangements for Jerry's funeral." He turned to his deputies. "Do you think you three can bring that body down and keep Stonehouse from escaping?" he said sarcastically. They nodded, still staring at the ground.  
  
"I'll take your word for it," he said and walked off in the direction his deputies had come from. Joe followed closely behind.  
  
Soon everyone was ready to go, but Adam and Nate hung back as the rest fell into line to pick their way down the hill. Nate cleared his throat and Adam turned to look at him.  
  
"You realize what this means, don't you? You've got the lawyer in custody and McClaren and Jackson are dead. The siege is over, you won't have to live under a twenty-four hour guard now."  
  
Adam looked at him with one brow raised and a half smile. "You would think so, wouldn't you? But for some reason I can't explain, that feeling of foreboding hasn't gone away." He paused to look around with narrowed eyes. "I can't rest easy just yet, Nate. Someone who means my family harm is still out there, I can feel it." He shook his head, "No, I'm not going to call off the watch yet, not until I feel comfortable with it."  
  
Nate nodded, trusting in Adam's instincts as the two men spurred their horses forward to join the line and head for home. 


	10. L & F PT 3 CH 27 FROM THE PAST

LOST AND FOUND - PART III  
  
FROM THE PAST  
  
Chapter 27  
  
The slender figure dressed in black stopped midway through the backyard and looked up at the cream-colored house. All but one of the windows were dark, and only a soft muted light illuminated the nursery window. As the figure continued toward the house, ghostly-white moonlight glinted off a long, sharp blade.  
  
The back door was not locked, as expected, and the slender shadow slipped in and quietly went up the back stairs. The nursery was right at the head; the door was slightly ajar, dim yellow lamplight spilled through the opening. When a voice spoke from inside the room the figure in black jumped, badly startled, "Come in Olivia, I've been waiting for you."  
  
The woman tightened her grip on the knife then pushed the door open the whole way. She could see a figure seated in a rocking chair in the far corner from the door. A slender arm reached out and turned up the lamp, bringing Thea out from the shadows.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"I figured it out after Adam and the boys found that man's body and Ben spotted you in town yesterday. I thought there was very little chance that monster would give up his hold on you in death and I was right - he still has just as tight a grip on you from the grave as he did in life. Since revenge was the only reason I could think of as to why you were in town, I decided to wait for you."  
  
Her quiet tone and calm voice had the other woman a little stunned. She had been expecting loud voices, recriminations, and physical violence - the things that had been a daily part of her life for so many years.  
  
"Revenge is the reason why you're here, isn't it? Tell me the truth, Livvy."  
  
Olivia went rigid with rage, "YES, DAMN IT, YES! And it's all your husband's fault." She turned to one of the cribs and was stunned to see it was empty. She frantically turned to the other two. They were also empty.  
  
"This is just between you and me, Liv, and you won't be able to find my children in this house," Thea said, with pain in her voice.  
  
The other woman turned to look at her, still shocked at the cribs being empty then puzzled when she saw Thea was crying.  
  
"Look at yourself, Livvy, dear God, look at yourself," Thea said meeting the other woman's eyes. "The woman I knew, the woman who was my best friend for years never would have done something like this, and for what? To avenge a man who beat you and humiliated you? A man who taught you how to be consumed by hatred?"  
  
"He loved me."  
  
"Ah Livvy, that man was incapable of loving anyone but himself."  
  
"That's not true," Olivia said and looked down at the knife in her hand.  
  
"Yes it is. But if you are going to blame anyone in this family, blame me. So much of this is my fault."  
  
The other woman shook her head, "Your fault?"  
  
"Yes," Thea said as tears began flowing down her face. "I knew what he was doing to you, and I kept waiting for you to come to me, but you never did," she put a hand over her eyes, "you never came to me Liv." She dropped her hand and looked at the other woman in misery, "I should have done something, I should have interfered somehow. Dear God, what did that monster do to you?" she cried out shaking with sobs as she hung her head.  
  
The other woman automatically started to stretch out a hand to Thea, to comfort her, and again saw the knife. She stared at it for a moment then with a heart-wrenching cry of despair she threw the knife away and dropped to her knees in front of the seated woman. Thea leaned forward to put her arms around Olivia and kept whispering words of comfort to her as the other woman let all the years of pain, fear, and humiliation out with huge sobs.  
  
The closet door had been slightly open and now a figure pushed it open the rest of the way and silently stepped out and into the light.  
  
"Thank you for letting me do this my way," she said to her husband and he just nodded, his throat too tight to speak.  
  
When Olivia realized Adam was in the room she turned toward him, still on her knees, and tried to tell him she was sorry, but couldn't stop sobbing. He came forward to kneel and put his arms around her while Thea stroked her hair with a gentle hand.  
  
When her anguish was finally spent she raised her dazed eyes to Adam's. "Liv, why didn't you come to ME?" Adam said softly.  
  
She looked down, "What could you have done? Nobody could help me."  
  
Adam actually smiled as he put a hand under her chin and tipped her face up until she met his gaze again. "Now, do you really think I couldn't have gotten you out of there and beyond his reach? What was the real reason?"  
  
"I was too ashamed," she whispered, looking at him anxiously.  
  
His jaw clenched and he closed his eyes as he shook his head. When he opened his eyes she could see that he was furious and she tried to pull away in fear. But he put his hands on her shoulders to keep her from shrinking away.  
  
"Look at me, Liv," he said intently and she reluctantly did. The sympathy she now saw on his face made her start to cry again.  
  
"Listen to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of, you did nothing wrong. What that man did to you was wrong. Good God, no woman deserves to be treated like that, to be forced to live that way," he said as he pulled her to him again.  
  
Thea slipped from her chair and went down on her knees next to the two of them. She put her arms around their shoulders and kept saying, "I don't care what that man told you. You did nothing wrong, it wasn't your fault."  
  
The three of them stayed that way until Olivia quickly succumbed to her emotional and physical exhaustion and went limp in sleep.  
  
Adam picked her up and carried her into the bedroom next door. Thea pulled the covers back as he carefully placed her on the bed and the two quickly got her settled in.  
  
As they left the room and started downstairs Adam put his arm around Thea and blew out a deep breath. "How did you know this would work?"  
  
Thea sighed too, "I don't know, I just did."  
  
"I wish you had told me back when I could have done something for her."  
  
"I know, but I couldn't. As her doctor, I couldn't betray her confidence."  
  
They reached the bottom of the stairs and she turned to put her arms around his waist and her head against his chest.  
  
"Do you have to arrest her?"  
  
"Yes I do, you know that Thea. She helped her husband escape from prison. Those charges won't just go away. At least not yet anyway."  
  
She raised her head and looked at him closely. "What are you planning?"  
  
He chuckled, "I'm not completely sure yet, but don't worry about Liv. We'll get her through this somehow."  
  
"Tell me," she insisted.  
  
"You know I don't tell anyone anything until I'm sure. There's less confusion that way."  
  
"Then at least tell me what outcome you are planning for."  
  
"That I can tell you. I want the charges dismissed due to coercion, and for Liv to get to keep the money she brought into the marriage. They want to confiscate it all." He shook his head, "she was a victim in this, not a co-conspirator."  
  
"What will you do if they won't do as you ask?"  
  
"Then they can have my badge back and I will tell them exactly what they can do with it. I will not be party to an injustice like that. I took this position with the understanding I would not tolerate any interference. I meant that then, and I mean it even more now."  
  
Thea yawned, "So what are you going to do with her?"  
  
"She can stay here, under house arrest. Liv won't run; she has no place to run to."  
  
She nodded in agreement, "No, she won't run. She knows this is the safest she has been since she married that animal."  
  
"Please, don't insult animals," Adam said smiling down at her. "Go to bed."  
  
"Aren't you coming?"  
  
"No, I think my time would be better spent thinking this through. Besides, I really need to be on guard tonight. I'm sure Liv won't run, but I do have to be cautious about this situation."  
  
She pulled his head down and kissed him deeply until he pulled away. "Now stop that, I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work."  
  
Laughing, she hugged him tightly then moved away toward the stairs as he said, "I always know what you're up to Thea, just like I've always known you were more than just another pretty face."  
  
Thea looked back over her shoulder as she paused partway up, "That's funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you," she said and then continued up, smiling at his pleased laughter.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Two days later in the afternoon Adam was sitting in the swing on the front porch when three strangers, followed by Roy, came up the front walk.  
  
Adam didn't move; he just followed them with his eyes.  
  
The tallest addressed him, "Are you Adam Cartwright?"  
  
"I am."  
  
The tall man with a sharp face who was standing in the middle held out some papers. Adam stood, came forward to take them, and then returned to the swing. He looked through them briefly then raised his eyes to look at the tall man expectantly. "State your business."  
  
He glanced at his two companions quickly then turned back to Adam, "We are here to take custody of Olivia Jackson and return her to San Francisco to stand trial."  
  
Adam took out a narrow cigar, lit it then leaned back in the swing. "No."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, no. Olivia is not going anywhere, I refuse to release her."  
  
The man in the middle stared back at him with his mouth open, "You can't do that!"  
  
Adam chuckled, "Do you have any idea how many times someone has said that to me? Yes I CAN do that. You are out of your jurisdiction and in mine now. She is not going anywhere until her physician has released her and until then, she is staying right here under house arrest."  
  
The tall man's mouth tightened, "I understand that Mrs. Jackson is a very attractive woman. Will we be forced to have you investigated due to improper behavior and abuse of your authority?"  
  
Shaking his head, Adam snorted with laughter then said, "Did you hear that Thea?"  
  
"Yes, I did," she growled as she opened the screen door and came out on the porch. "How dare you!" Thea stalked down the steps to stand in front of the tall man. "How dare you imply that my husband would do anything so disgusting!" she raged and astonished everyone by reaching up and slapping his face.  
  
All three of the men stepped back as she put her fists on her hips and glared at them.  
  
"That's enough Theadora, get back up here," Adam said quietly, but firmly and she reluctantly did so.  
  
"I guess we will just have to talk to her doctor about her physical condition."  
  
Adam came to lean on the railing, "Did I forget to mention that Thea is not only my wife, she is Olivia's doctor?"  
  
The three men glanced at each other again in surprise before the one in the middle spoke again. "Well, then we will get another doctor to examine her."  
  
"Did you hear that Matt?" Adam asked, thoroughly enjoying himself now.  
  
Matt came through the screen door nodding his head. "I heard and I concur with my colleague's opinion. So considering I am the only other physician in town gentlemen, I believe that point is now moot."  
  
The man on the left spoke up, "Mebbe we should jest go on in and take her."  
  
"I don't think that would be a very good idea," Adam laughed, and then whistled.  
  
Nate, Mike, John, and Joe came out onto the porch and formed a line in front of the door. All four stood there with their arms folded and glared at the men on the sidewalk.  
  
Adam was about to speak again when Ben and Hoss came around the left corner of the house dragging a man with them by the upper arms. When they reached the group on the sidewalk they let go and he crumpled to the ground with a groan. Hoss went up the steps to join the line while his father explained.  
  
"We caught him trying to break in through the back door," he said to his son, and as he started up the steps Charlie and Wes came around the right corner of the house, dragging another man with them.  
  
Everyone on the porch started laughing as Wes and Charlie dumped him on the ground by his companions. Wes looked up at Adam, "This one was trying to get in through a window," he said as they, too, climbed the steps and joined the line.  
  
Adam motioned for his friends and family to quiet down then came to the top step to address the men on the sidewalk.  
  
"Gentlemen, I believe now would be the perfect time to retreat gracefully. And when you get back to San Francisco you can tell your boss to keep his nose out of my jurisdiction. And if you don't leave immediately you will all get a close-up look at our facilities."  
  
"On what charges!"  
  
"To start with trespassing, conspiracy, attempted breaking and entering...I'm sure I can come up with a few more if you give me the time to think about it hard enough."  
  
The tall man was furious, but had no choice so he motioned for his companions to help the two on the ground up. He stalked down the sidewalk, kicked the gate open then stomped away. The others followed him slowly.  
  
When they were out of sight Adam leaned against the pillar supporting the porch roof and looked at Roy who was still standing there.  
  
"And as for you," he said with a serious expression looking at the Sheriff, "I can't thank you enough for warning us when they hit town and delaying them so we could be ready."  
  
Roy smiled as everyone else laughed. "Anytime Adam. I didn't like the looks of them anyway."  
  
Ben, Hoss, and Joe came down the steps as the group dispersed. "Come on, Roy," Ben said as he clapped the Sheriff on the back, "let's go to the Sage Brush. I'm buying," he said and the four men went through the gate then closed it carefully behind them.  
  
Thea took Adam by the hand and tugged him over to the swing. They sat down and he put one arm around her as they started to move.  
  
"Now what?" she asked.  
  
"Well, now I go to San Francisco and talk to a few people."  
  
"Oh," she said. "You told them to tell their boss to keep his nose out of your jurisdiction. Who's their boss?"  
  
"The prosecuting attorney. He was planning on using this case as publicity to further his political career."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"A friend sent me a telegram."  
  
"Who?"  
  
Adam chuckled. "Bob. He heard them talking about it; you'd be surprised at what a bartender hears. People treat them as though they aren't even there."  
  
"Oh," Thea said again as the twins burst through the screen door and threw themselves onto the swing; Annalise on Adam's side and Alexander on Thea's side.  
  
The four of them swung for a while and watched the shadows lengthen. There was a definite cold bite to the air now and when Thea shivered Adam said, "Well, I guess this mild weather is going to be over now. I think I smell snow coming."  
  
The children looked wide-eyed at their father and Thea started to laugh when they saw a few snowflakes waft through the air then melt as soon as they settled on the ground.  
  
"Pa!" Alexander said, "Did you make it snow?"  
  
Adam laughed as he stood and picked him up while Thea scooped up Annalise. "No, I can't make it snow Alexander, that was just a coincidence."  
  
"Oh," the boy said, disappointed, then put his arms around his father's neck and hugged him tightly. "That's ok Pa, we love you anyway," he said and then was puzzled as to why his parents were laughing so hard at him as they went into the warm house and firmly shut the door against the coming cold.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


End file.
